Second Running
by Charlotte4sometimeS
Summary: Sarah finally ventures to call on Hoggle, but finds herself being dragged back into a world that she had concluded was a childish dream. Rated Kplus for an occasional outburst from Sarah...Please review!
1. A Call to Arms

AN: This is my first fanfic. I do not own any of the characters or material from Labyrinth © Jim Henson, 1986, or the songs/lyrics 'Magic Dance', 'Chilly Down', 'Underground', or 'Within You' © David Bowie. I wish I could own Didymus, though...too cute...

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><p>The looking glass that sat before Sarah reflected a dissatisfied and rather reluctant young woman, eager to cover the dark circles under her eyes, but since money was scare makeup was no longer a necessity (unless it was red lipstick). She considered her visage and was disappointed with her pasty skin, poker straight hair and small mouth and let out a sigh of exasperation; although she was only twenty-five, it felt as if she had grown twice as many years since she was the tender and crucial age of fifteen.<p>

Sarah Williams was not an ordinary person. Well, she was ordinary in the sense that she had two legs, arms, eyes and ears, she had hair and a nose and mouth, and she got up for work and went to bed every day. She was unordinary in the sense that she was simply out of step with modern life. She rarely went out with friends, and other than work had little contact with other people. More than anything she enjoyed walking at night and trekking out to the nearest wood, in the preserved area of her city. She read, more than she could remember, many medieval books and fantasy novels, but never wrote her own. Somehow, when she tried, the same places and the same faces dominated the text and she gave up on originality.

Even now, as she gazed into the glass, she could still feel the cold air of the Labyrinth on her skin, she could smell the hedges, rocks and that interminable bog, and if she tried hard enough she could hear those fateful songs that were lodged in the back of her head like an intangible memory. Of course, when Sarah looked back on those days after her return her heart filled with sadness. On returning, she had promised Hoggle that she would call on him, but after she had danced the night away with her friends she had awoken in her bed to an empty room, and dismissed the whole thing as a childish dream. Rationally, to her it was most likely to have been a vivid dream. There was a part of her that wanted to believe she had found her way to the castle, beyond the Goblin City, but it was too difficult to explain or rationalise. She had been haunted by it ever since, but had been too afraid to call on Hoggle; it was easier to leave it as a possibility that one day he would come, rather than shattering her dreams too soon.

She still clung to the creatures she had met in this lucid dream. Hoggle, the brusque and yet kind-hearted goblin, with his ridiculous notions of monetary value of treasure, his bushy eyebrows and huge blue eyes…Ludo, with his warm orange fur and black and white view of reality…and Sir Didymus, with his quaint Renaissance attire and thirst for battle. All of these creatures had a presence on her wall; she was no artist, but had sketched out their appearances from memory and they had remained on her wall ever since. As Sarah gazed into the mirror, she forgot herself and whispered, "I need you Hoggle. All of you. Even him…" she cast her eyes across to her open note book, where Jareth, the Goblin King, sat in biro on the page. Even though the cruel monarch had stolen her baby brother and put her through a twisting and terrifying ordeal, she knew that he had no power over her. She both feared and respected him and longed to see him again, just to see what had become of him and his kingdom.

Sarah lived alone in her own private kingdom, the flat above the acting school where she taught adolescents. Her flat reflected her financial difficulties; it had one bedroom, a kitchen/living area, and a bathroom. Her only pride was the bay window that looked down onto the quiet suburban street below. Sarah's acting school was named 'oubliette' as it offered acting opportunities to children in care, or those who were simply forgotten. Their plays largely consisted of fairy tales and Shakespeare plays, and whilst was highly rewarding, Sarah felt like she was nurturing stars but would never make her mark on the cinematic world; and the pay was awful. When she had completed high school and left home she had taken numerous acing courses to be qualified to act in multiple modes, but after several failed auditions she withdrew into self-loathe and took over the acting school from its previous owner who landed a part in a long-running sitcom in New York.

Sarah sighed again at her reflection. The reason as to why Sarah was so concerned about her appearance was largely due to the fact that the four nights prior to her current state had been filled with haunting dreams of running through tunnels, dodging Goblin armies and flinging herself around stairs just to find nothing at the centre of the Labyrinth she so longed to visit again, if only it were real. The dreams had been so exhausting she had been more tired than if she had not slept at all, and her eyes suffered for it. She was supposed to be going out the following day with her friend Annie, and Sarah knew that if she looked this rough Annie was bound to make comments.

Sarah applied a slick of the red lipstick that she had bought instead of milk and bread, to draw the attention away from her eyes, then leant over to answer the ringing phone on her desk.

"Hello?"

"Hey Sarah, it's Annie, I just wondered if you were free tonight? I have some vintage movies and thought you'd be interested. You could stay over so we can go out together tomorrow instead of meeting in town."

Sarah groaned inwardly. She had been promising to spend time with Annie for weeks but had feigned business in order to stay in. It was not that she disliked Annie, it was just such an effort to pretend to be normal. Life bored her, and it made her feel pretentious, so she ironically remained bored by herself and did very little.

"Um, I would but I have plans tonight. Can we just meet tomorrow?"

Annie sighed.

"Yeah, sure. Why not?"

The dial tone indicated to Sarah that Annie was aggravated, but she was too distracted to notice.

In the corner of her eye she had sensed movement in the corner of her bedroom, but on further visual inspection there was nothing to be seen. And yet, when she glanced back at the mirror she was sure that she saw something again. "Who's there? What do you want?" _Oh God, I'm going to be murdered and no one will find my body for days_. She wrapped her arms about herself and took deep breaths. "Come out. Now."

In a glittery flash, a small creature manifested itself in the corner. A goblin, not four feet tall and wearing a bag of jewels around his waist.

"Hoggle?"

"Sarah!"

Sarah whirled round to face the corned, but saw nothing, and on returning to face the mirror found his form was still in the corner.

"What are you doing in my mirror, Hoggle? Are you real? Oh my, I really am losing it now, as if the dreams weren't bad enough! Shit, I knew I should have slept more!"

He looked exactly the same, but wearier, as if he had come a long way to find her.

"I ain't sure what you're goin' on about, but I cames here because you said you needed us'. I would have brought the others but it ain't easy, I can tell you. To be honest I'm surprised you never asked for us again after we came the first time."

Tears welled in Sarah's eyes.

"You're real? How are you here?"

She remembered his words. _Should you need us, for anything at all_…

"This ain't the first time I've done this, don't look so shocked. Since when did you stop takin' things for granted? Can't you just accept that I'm here?"

"Oh of course Hoggle, but why can't you come into my room?"

"My magic's ain't that strong anymore Sarah, and besides, this is just a flyin' visit. I came here to tell you that whilst you need us, then we could sure use your help too. Since you defeated the Labyrinth, Jareth has been reinforcin' it. It's a mess, I'll tell you. He believes it will only be complete if you can't complete it, and he's comin' for you tomorrow. I wanted to warn you Sarah, because I think we'll be seein' each other in there."

Sarah remembered to breathe as she realised what Hoggle was saying. Everything she had previously thought was childhood fantasy could be real, and her years spent diminishing her imagination may have been for nought. She inhaled morosely, afraid of the consequences of her journey.

"Hoggle, I'm not a child anymore. To me, this is a chance to do what I have wanted to do for ten years, but to others my age this is cause to be sectioned by the local asylum. How can I trust this is real?"

"I thought this would happen. You gotta looks in there…"

Hoggle pointed to her music box. Puzzled, she looked away from the mirror and opened the box. The music that seeped out was different somehow, like a memory loosened from her past. She could almost hear it being sung. _There's such a sad love deep in your eyes_…Inside the box was all her usual keepsakes and an imposter-item, a small plastic bracelet, the same bracelet she had entrusted to Hoggle in the oubliette. A tear fell down her cheek and landed in the box. As she shifted her gaze back to the mirror, she saw that Hoggle was gone. In a panicked voice she called out, "When will he come for me?"

Hoggle replied in a distant and foggy voice, "Tomorrow at midnight, Sarah, be ready!"

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><p>That night the dreams had changed. She was dancing alone in a ballroom filled with dancing masks and bubbles, and every time she approached a bubble it grew solid and fell to the floor. She was dancing with a spectre, a man's mask and nothing more, and it chilled her to the core. The floor fell out beneath her and she found herself deep in the heart of a hedge maze, but the trees began to wither and before she knew it, she was alone in a desolate wasteland, with a vast expansiveness engulfing her.<p>

Most of the following day was spent worrying and preparing. Sarah had failed to remember her meeting with Annie, who did not call her again, but maybe it was for the best; Sarah had no idea if she would return to the Overground.

Of course, Sarah still could not believe the events of the previous night and was sure she was losing her mind, but the prospect of getting back to the Labyrinth was too fantastic to ignore.

At a quarter to midnight that night, Sarah Williams sat in her bed, poised and prepared. She had packed a bag of items to help her in the Labyrinth: her lipstick, some money, sandwiches and water, a pocket watch, a lighter, a ball of string, a hand held mirror, a first aid kit and a compass (even though the latter seemed pointless in a Labyrinth that kept changing). She had donned comfortable jeans, the plastic bracelet, a soft black sweater and a grey cardigan, brown shoes and had let her hair fall – she wanted him to recognise her. In her bag she also placed a photo of her mother and her book of the Labyrinth that sat faithfully on her desk. She looked longingly at the photo, then placed it between the pages of the small red book.

As the minutes passed, apprehension raged like a storm in her stomach. Fear overtook her as she surrendered to the negative thoughts. _What happens if I have imagined all of this? What happens if he doesn't show up? Am I crazy? Should I go, and if I demand not to, will he make me?_

The clock reached a minute to, and she feigned sleep, but a minute later she peeked at the clock. It read midnight. Where was he?

Suddenly, there was a quiet but urgent tapping at her bay window. _Oh, how original_ she thought, her sarcasm masking her fear. The thought of Jareth still chilled her slightly. She got out of bed and crept to the window as the tapping intensified, and pulled the curtain back before opening the window. It was raining heavily outside and the wind blew in, making her cold and dampening her ankles. Without warning, an owl shot inside her bedroom, flapping at her terrified face before landing on the carpet. Sarah swung around and saw the owl transform into the man she feared – the Goblin King.

He stood with regal splendour in the centre of her room, brushing glitter from his shoulders before placing his hands on his hips and cocking his head to one side.

"Hello, Sarah."

Jareth was wearing a black and blue jacket covered in numerous sparkling jewels with a high collar that had a deep blue velvet cloak hanging from its neck. His black leggings ever present, Sarah noticed he still wore his high boots; in fact there was nothing remarkably new about his attire – it was his appearance that was most shocking. His mismatched eyes had grown more vivid in their individual colours, growing slightly red around the edges. His hair still stood in impossible spikes, but shone less than before. If it was possible, he looked paler.

"Jareth," she breathed in fear.

He smirked.

"When did you become so bold that you no longer refer to me as 'The Goblin King'? Have my efforts to be imposing worn off, Sarah?"

She shivered as he repeated her name, and swallowed.

"Did they ever really work? As I recall I was the one who imposed upon and defeated you."

Jareth flinched and glared at the woman before him. He surveyed her form; she had grown out of her pubescent body into the body of a woman. Her soft, childish features were replaced by harsher angles and stronger cheekbones, but there was still the same naïve extravagance in her eyes. His eyes narrowed and he frowned.

"You have gotten older."

Sarah scoffed and swallowed.

"Well, I have been Overground for ten years now. I had hoped you would remember the time that has passed."

"Years seem to go by much faster up here."

He seemed perplexed, like he was mentally trying to battle a contradiction.

"Why are you here, Jareth?" Sarah tried to be bold and fearless, but it translated into the childish arrogance that had angered him so many years ago.

"Do you remember when I said I could be cruel? Please do not tempt me. It is a great deal more satisfying to toy with a human than it is with goblins."

Sarah moved as to take a step back, but it felt as if she were in a dream and stuck to the ground. She scowled as he took a step forward.

"Your eyes can be so cruel. Do you dare to resist my power?"

"You have no power over me, Goblin King," she said, panicked.

"Ah, that old chestnut. You will find me a lot stronger than when we last met. Should I ask why you were lying in bed in your clothes, with luggage? I am sure it is not a human custom."

Sarah looked down at her apparel.

"Let's just say I had a tip off."

Jareth growled.

"That treacherous goblin! If I ever see Hogbreath again-

"Hoggle!"

"Yes. If I see him I will tip him straight into the bog!"

"The bog is still there?" Sarah sounded joyful, and so regained composure.

"It is my pride and joy."

Sarah examined the playful look on his face cautiously.

"Look, what do you want?"

He smiled his wide grin.

"And now to business. I want you to take on my Labyrinth again. There is no stolen child this time, just you and me. You will have the full thirteen hours to reach my castle at the centre, where I will be waiting. If you win, the Labyrinth and I are yours, and if you lose, you become mine. Forever."

Sarah shivered.

"What do you mean exactly when you say that I become yours?"

"Exactly what I said. You will fear me, _love_ me, and do as I say. I will possess you. It is all I have wished for since you so distastefully rejected my offer. You will be my slave, and do my bidding."

A thousand thoughts sped through Sarah's head. _If I win, could I rule a Labyrinth? What happens if I lose? Would it be such a bad thing to live in the Labyrinth? I could be ruled._ Her youthful freedom called out to her. _No, you could never be ruled! How could you even consider it? He stole your brother, ruined your perceptions of reality. He ruined you._

"I'll do it, on one condition."

"I am not sure you are really in a position to bargain, but go on, I will humour your condition."

"I need to know that you are real, because if you aren't then I need serious help."

Jareth smirked and held out his hand. A glass crystal formed in his fingers and he began to rhythmically toss it from side to side, before throwing it to Sarah. She flinched, hoping it would not turn into a snake, but caught it and gazed inside. She could see her fifteen year old self inside, dressed in a white gown and dancing with a masked man. The crystal then crumbed into glitter and blew from her hand. Tears rose to her eyes.

"That might have been in my imagination."

"I see that the Overground has made you insufferably critical."

Jareth sighed and stepped towards Sarah. She tried to back away again but could not. He reached out his hand as if to touch her, but held it in the air. She took it nervously and he shook her hand.

"I trust that you will honour our bargain now that we have shaken on it. Now, step to the window."

Sarah could move again, and she dashed to the window to see through the rain that the Labyrinth had replaced the street she usually saw. However, it looked different. It was darker, she could see larger expanses of forest and new areas of water. The largest change was to the castle, which had grown taller and more imposing.

"Everything's changed."

Jareth stood close to her and made her jump. Her bedroom had gone, and all she could see was wasteland behind him. Joy in its purest form enveloped her senses as she realised she was back in the Underground.

"Did you think I had done nothing in the time that has passed, Sarah?"

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as he breathed her name so near her skin.

"It _still _doesn't look that far."

He smiled.

"It's further than you think, and time is short."

She turned her head and glared at him, only to see his eyes closed in what appeared to be bliss. He was still taller than him, and she wished she were more impressive.

"See you at the centre, Goblin King. Throw whatever tricks you want at me; they didn't work last time."

With a pained expression, Jareth began to move away slowly, as if he was turning to fog. "You have thirteen hours in which to solve the Labyrinth before you become mine forever."

"It's only forever," muttered Sarah.

"_Such a pity_."


	2. Into The Labyrinth

AN: So here is the second chapter! Again, I don't own any of the material/characters/songs from 'Labyrinth'. If I did own the Labyrinth, I would have an epic Easter Egg Hunt...

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><p>Sarah looked down at her pocket watch and noticed that an extra hour had been incorporated into the face. She set it to the thirteenth hour and started it again – this time she could be sure of how much time she had. As before, she ran down the sandy slopes and approached the door to the Labyrinth. There were no fairies flittering around, but large moths that avoided Sarah's path. The fountain she had seen Hoggle vandalising before had stopped working, and the water was stagnant and dull. The door to the Labyrinth still stood in all its ominousness, but was already open. Nervously, Sarah entered the door to see the familiar sight of a long brick corridor, but the walls were oozing and moving creepers danced across the floor, their eyes following her. She struggled over a few of them as she ran to the right and set off down the path, but many more crept to her legs and tackled her to the floor. "Help!" she cried, feeling utterly dejected that she had to call for help so soon in her journey. No one came, so she yelled at the vines, "Do you know who I am? I am Sarah Williams! You have no power over me!" Without a further second passing, the vines loosened and freed Sarah, fear hiding in their eyes. <em>Wow, I doubt that will work again<em>…

Sarah stood and brushed herself down and continued to run, mentally noting how far she had run before. Was it wise for her to try the same route again? She did not know, but it seemed the most logical thing to try. After a while, she abruptly stopped as the sight of a small blue worm in a red scarf caught her attention.

"Hello?"

The worm looked up and smiled widely.

"Miss? Allo! You're famous now, miss! The girl who won the Labyrinth. What are you doin' here?"

"Well a long story short, I am trying to get to the centre of the Labyrinth again. Could you help me again?"

The worm dipped his head.

"Of course, miss, I would love to help someone so important as you, but last time…well…The king, miss, he took the missus, and…"

Sarah's face fell.

"I am so sorry! I cannot believe this happened! I knew he was cruel and a bit cranky, but I had no idea…"

"S'oright miss, it was a long time ago, and come to think of it I haven't got anythin' he can take now. I can help. Go just across there, but go the other way this time. It doesn't go straight to the centre anymore, but it is a darn sight quicker."

Sarah looked across to the apparently solid wall. "It went to the centre?"

The worm looked bashful.

"Um, yes, funny about that really-

"Don't worry, thank you for your help. Do you have a name?"

"Worm."

"Worm?"

"Yeah, as'right!"

"Okay, well, thank you Worm."

"You're welcome miss. Be careful!"

Sarah paused.

"I'm sorry, I have to ask you, how do you put that scarf on without any hands?"

"What scarf?"

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><p>Much further into the Labyrinth, Jareth sat alone in his throne room and stared intently into his crystal. The room was vacant except for him and a small goblin named Grubbe that swept up the remains of a riotous goblin party. Whenever Jareth left, the goblins held large gatherings and proceeded to trash the throne room; there was something thrilling about not knowing when he would return, and he never really punished them apart from the odd kick or bog. In truth, since Sarah had completed the Labyrinth the Goblin King had had little luck in controlling his subjects. Although, in truth, Jareth had spent little time trying to control them.<p>

He growled from deep in his chest. The creepers had done nothing, the worm had not heeded Jareth's warning, and Sarah felt stronger than ever. He would have to intervene at some point, but not yet. He dashed the crystal sphere at the wall. If she won, he had lost her and his Labyrinth forever. That is, if he kept to the bargain.

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><p>Quickly, quicker than before, the dark walls turned to sandstone and the corridors became wider, and Sarah recognised that she was in a very dangerous part of the Labyrinth. Everything here changed frequently, and to make things more difficult it grew cloudy and started to rain. Sarah ducked under a hedge and wrapped her arms around herself. "It never rained before, what is going on?"<p>

Sarah surveyed the skyline and jumped in fear; there was a large bird flying overhead that looked rather menacing. It was the colours of a phoenix but was denser, about two metres in length, and had large red eyes, its talons as long as her fingers. She sidled along the hedge, looking for a path that faced the centre, and whilst Sarah's efforts to skulk were impressive, it saw her and chose her as its prey, and as Sarah threw herself around corners to avoid its talons, she searched her bag for help. She frantically grabbed her mirror, spun around and held it up to the bird as she fell backwards. _Oh god I hope this works_. Well, it was worth a shot.

The bird saw its reflection and let out an almighty screech, before falling from the air and nose-diving into a nearby pond. On impact, it dissolved into a fantastic red powder. It all seemed too easy to Sarah, as she stood up and brushed herself down. "Ha ha! I can't believe it!"

For several minutes after, Sarah wandered the paths of the Labyrinth before she spied two doors. Instead of the Scottish card-creatures guarding the door, there were two goblin guards. They were both about five feet tall and wore dark armour.

"Excuse me? Can you two help me to the centre of the Labyrinth?"

The guards, surprised at a visitor, stood upright and cleared their throats, then said in unison, "You shall not pass unless you can solve the riddle."

Turning to themselves, they danced in delight. "I can't believe we did it, Fremin! King won't kick us today!"

Sarah looked puzzled but remained serene.

"Oh, I know the answer to this one, this door leads to the centre…"

"HAULT! This be a new riddle."

_Damn_. Sarah had thought it would be the same, and had underestimated Jareth's skill. The goblins giggled then began to speak.

"Once upon a time, there was a round castle. In it lived a king, a queen, and a princess. Then one day the princess disappeared. The suspects were the cook, the maid, and the local gossip. The king decided to question each of them. First he went to the cook. "Where were you when my princess was stolen?" he asked. "I was preparing the dishes," the cook replied. Then he went to the maid. "Where were you when my princess was stolen?" he asked. "I was cleaning the corners," replied the maid. Then he went to the gossip. "Where were you when my princess was stolen?" he asked. "I was listening in on the queen," the gossip replied. Who committed the crime and why? If you get it right, the door to the castle will open. If you get it wrong, the door to certain death will open. In either case, you will not know the outcome until you are dead or not."

Sarah was impressed that they had both spoken the riddle in unison, and clearly the goblins were too as they began to dance again, but she began to get frustrated when she could not see the answer. She glanced around the square opening she was in and gasped in revelation.

"It was the maid! There are no corners in a round castle for her to clean! It has to be right!"

The left hand door opened and Sarah stood forward as the guard moved.

"Tell Jareth I'm coming for him," she stepped through the door, "And that his Labyrinth is still a piece of-

A trap door opened beneath her and she fell, screaming all the way.

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><p>It was unnecessary for the goblins to tell Jareth as he was still diligently observing Sarah's actions through a crystal. He lounged across his throne with a crystal in one hand and his other hand preoccupied with pinching the bridge of his nose and rubbing his head absent-mindedly. It was foolish of him to bring her to the Underground when the Labyrinth was so underprepared, but subconsciously he almost wanted her to make it; it would be so devastatingly anti-climactic if she did not. He turned to the goblin that was still cleaning. "Grubbe, that will be all, I need to be alone." The small goblin looked around at the mess that still needed to be cleaned.<p>

"But, sire?"

"Get out Grubbe!"

"But the cleaning, majesty, the _cleaning_…"

Jareth rose from his throne and lifted Grubbe by the ear.

"Either leave now, or I'll bog you! That _will_ be something worth cleaning!" he growled, before dropping Grubbe and kicking him away.

Jareth pondered the image of Sarah trapped in an oubliette in the crystal, and quickly yelled to Grubbe, "Wait! I've got a much better plan. Send in Rattle." Grubbe bowed and scuttled out of the room. Jareth averted his eyes back to the crystal.

Rattle, a four-foot and rather fluffy goblin slide into the room, wearing a comically large helmet. "Hey! No fair with the push push!" he yelled to an absent Grubbe. Jareth sighed and sat up.

"Rattle, I need you to tell Hogbrain-

"Hoggle," Rattle squeaked.

Jareth shot him an angry look.

"Yes. Get him to help Sarah out of the oubliette."

"Yes, majesty!"

Rattle went to leave, then looked confused and appeared to be trapped between trying to leave and dying to ask a question.

"What is it, Rattle?"

"Rattle doesn't understand. Why king help lady when he want to beat lady?"

_Lady_._ I remember when she was 'girl'_._ It all seems like yesterday, but I suppose she is a lady now_.

"Are you questioning the king? How very dangerous. Would you like to be thrown into the bog again?" Jareth smirked.

The small goblin cowered.

"NO SIRE, NO! I will tell him, I will help lady!"

He dashed from the room, clutching his helmet.

It had been a valid question, though, one that Jareth began to consider. It would seem that one year in the Underground was equivalent to ten years Overground, and whilst he had spent a whole year preparing the Labyrinth, Sarah had had ten years of intellectual development.

When Sarah first came to the Labyrinth, Jareth had already spent many weeks in preparation, watching her adolescent obsession with the little red book reach its peak, before she finally wished Toby away. He had grown fascinated by the sight of her youthful spirit, to the point where he would rather transfigure into an owl to see her Overground than watch the inferior secondary visions of her in the crystal. Truth be told he had tried to give her the same treatment as every other runner inside the Labyrinth, but he wanted the show down with her more than he wanted to beat her. He wanted her to stay with him, to choose him over her mortal life and let him rule her, but naturally at the defiant age of fifteen the prospect of winning and the fear of losing her brother outweighed the strength of her perceptions.

Jareth shook his head. He was a man of contradictions; he wanted to rule her, but she ruled his heart. He wanted her to lose, but he wanted her to reach the centre. He wanted to own her, but he felt owned himself. He enjoyed being cruel, but he knew that often his intentions, though veiled, were kind. On the outside, he was cruel and tyrannical; in reality, he did what he thought was best. He never intended to turn Sarah or Toby into a goblin; far from it – he had wanted Sarah as his match. Of course, his arrogance and competitiveness meant that he wanted to contain the one thing that had the potential to beat him.

However, how could he justify sitting from the throne room and allowing, albeit _helping_ Sarah beat his new and improved Labyrinth? It made no logical sense. He cast his mind back to her bedroom. He had been so surprised to see a woman standing before him, and it threw him slightly.. He shook his head again. _Come now, I'm surprised at you losing your head over a girl!_ His previous words mocked him as he stood up and began to pace the room. It felt as though so little time had passed since Sarah had rejected his offer to stay with him, but he had to remain strong this time. Yes, Sarah was very beautiful, intelligent and courageous, but she was also his enemy and the embarrassment she had caused him in her previous run made him want to drop her into the bog. He had not yet decided how he would handle her winning; would he offer himself again? Could he honour their bargain? He was underprepared and fearful, a feeling he did not often feel. He decided that he should try to look on her as a pesky girl of fifteen, not a haunting woman that dared to ruin his Labyrinth, and his heart.

* * *

><p><em>Oh, wow, an oubliette. How original.<em> Sarah sat up and rubbed her neck. There was complete darkness around her, so she reached into her bag and grabbed her lighter. Flicking the lighter on, she began to search the darkness for a candle she suspected was there. Finally, after a few minutes of scrabbling around, she found the wicks of several candles and lit them. Looking around, she could see that this was a much larger oubliette than the one she fell in once before. There were scattered books, many rocks and, much to her disgust, what appeared to be the remains of a grotesque goblin picnic. There were no visible exits, no doors on the ground, and no Hoggle.

"Hoggle?" It was worth a try.

"_Sarah_?"

Sarah jumped. "_Hoggle_, is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me. I'm tryin' to get in but I keep findin' the wrong closet…bear with me."

"You have a _bear_ with you?"

"No, Sarah, _bear_ with me. I thought you supposed to be smarter now you're a lady and all."

Sarah laughed.

"Sorry, I guess I'm just a bit scared. It smells awful in here and I don't want to venture into the corners."

The far wall shook, and a door opened.

"There, right in the end!"

"Oh, Hoggle!"

Sarah ran at the little man and threw her arms around him.

"I thought I'd imagined you all, you know!" Tears fell down her cheeks.

"DON'T KISS ME!"

"I won't, I promise!"

"Good. I ain't puttin' up with Jareth's possessiveness again. He don't like you kissin' anythin', that's for sure. Anyway, look, I gots to warn you. Jareth will probably bog me if he finds out, but he told me to help you. It's like he wants you to win. I don't know what that no good is plannin', but we need to be careful."

"He told you to help me? That has to be one of his elaborate tricks. I suppose I am glad, though, I was beginning to wonder why the Labyrinth was still quite easy considering he's had ten years to build it up."

"He wishes he'd had ten years…"

"What do you mean?"

Hoggle began to put out the candles.

"You ain't realised? One year down here is worth ten years up top. He's only spent the past year preparin', he couldn't wait to try you out again. He was gunna take your brother, but he's nearly the age you were when you last visited. So he had to do the best he could in a year."

It began to seem so clear as to why Jareth had barely aged, and as to why the Labyrinth had only changed slightly. Sarah looked at her watch – she had spent two hours in the Labyrinth so far.

"Come on, follow me, Sarah!"


	3. Scary Monsters

AN: Hey, thanks to all those who are following my story! Any suggestions/reviews are welcome, I like constructive criticism! I don't own any of these characters, places or the Labyrinth. Jim Henson does. Because he was enough of a dude to make this film ^_^

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><p>She followed Hoggle out into the sandy tunnels and expected large, creepy faces that would tell her to turn back, but instead there were signs up all over the walls, all pointing to different directions, and on one wall there was a large rock face that appeared to be sleeping. Sarah strode up to it and knocked its rocky cheek. It yawned, and opened its eyes to reveal red pupils, scaring Sarah more than she had bargained for.<p>

"Mortal woman! You are in great danger! Turn back while you still can! Take heed, and go no further! Beware, for-

"Oh not again!" Hoggle moaned, "We go through this every time I come here! And it's worse now that it's just one – he's got an ego bigger than Jareth's!"

"If you could kindly let me _finish_!" He cleared his throat. "This is not the way!"

"Look, sir, could you stop? We know you're only trying to throw us off."

The face grew angry, and his eyes grew redder.

"Well, if you ignore my warning I suppose you will have to suffer the consequences."

"What consequences?"

But Sarah need not have asked. In the distance, Sarah and Hoggle could hear a rumbling. "Run!" cried Hoggle, and the two began to speed through the tunnels.

"What is it, Hoggle?"

"Remember the cleaner?"

"How could I forget?"

"It's worse!"

Sarah stole a look at the thing chasing them and screamed. Although similar in structure to the cleaner, it was sharper, faster and appeared to be electrified. The tunnel before them seemed to grow longer and longer, before suddenly Hoggle pulled her to one side into a small alcove, and the cleaner swept past. As it passed, Sarah saw two tiny goblins operating it, and laughed.

"Come on, Sarah, we're getting' a ride!"

Hoggle yanked Sarah's arm and caught up with the contraption, before jumping on the back.

* * *

><p>Jareth roared as a goblin fell into his lap and knocked the crystal from his hand. Whilst he had been watching the treacherous Hoggle and the ever-trusting Sarah flee from his new and improved cleaner, goblins had found their way into the throne room and had begun to play 'who can climb the highest?'. As it seemed grave for Sarah, and Jareth had considered slowing the cleaner down, a tiny goblin called Squirt had fallen from the rafters into his lap, and knocked the crystal across the room.<p>

"Argh! You impertinent fool!"

Jareth threw Squirt out of the window and formed a new crystal. _Please don't be dead_. He had planned on saving them at the last second. Involuntary worries ran through his head as he penetrated the crystal with his stare. He was relieved when he was greeted with the image of Sarah and Hoggle riding the cleaner, but choked when he realised the cleaner cut straight through the Labyrinth to the castle. _Oh no you don't, not that _easily. He cast some magic, and the cleaner slowed to a standstill. Exhaling loudly, he sunk into his throne.

"I think it might be time for a visit."

He stood up and flung his cloak in front of him, disappearing in a cloud of glitter.

* * *

><p>Sarah and Hoggle climbed off the back of the cleaner and dusted themselves down.<p>

"How do we get out of here Hoggle? I can't see any ladders."

"We just keep walkin', I guess."

The two shrugged and turned into another tunnel, walking in the direction the cleaner had been going.

After several minutes, the pair realised that the tunnel was not getting any brighter; in fact, it seemed darker. Furthermore, a sound of something landing nearby made Sarah jump.

"Hoggle, I don't like this. Do you hear something?"

Hoggle frowned.

"Yeah…I couldn't tell ya what it is though."

The two cautiously proceeded forward, only to be met by a pair of bright eyes in the near distance. They flickered and were accompanied by a deep growl.

"Hoggle…"

Sarah and Hoggle backed up slightly as they heard heavy footsteps approaching. A beast emerged out of the darkness, towering over them and breathing loudly. It was a Minotaur, no mistake, with the body of a human, dressed in black and brown armour.

"RUN!" cried Hoggle, but in their panic Sarah and Hoggle were separated. Both ran in opposite directions, and the Minotaur pursued Sarah, who ran for her life.

She shot around the corner into a tunnel that mockingly turned into a dead end, and screamed loudly.

"SHIT! Hoggle, help! Help, anyone?" She pushed and thrashed at the dead end. "Come on! _Change_!"

It was in vain, as the Minotaur turned the corner and began to pace towards her, slowly. Sarah stood up against the wall in fear and began to beg.

"Please, please don't hurt me! I mean you no harm! I'll do anything!"

As the Minotaur got closer, she noticed it looked odd, as if the head were of a different substance from the body. It towered above her and growled.

"Please, I'll do anything." She flinched and began to well up.

Then, the Minotaur did something that confused Sarah; it laughed, then spoke.

"Anything? I never knew it would be this easy for you to submit to me. Beg again, I like it when you beg."

Sarah was dumbfounded at the familiar voice, and almost growled herself when Jareth swept a hand over his Minotaur head and it turned into a poorly made mask, which he removed and cast aside. He dusted himself down and then met her eyes, smiling.

"It was you? Argh! Where is Hoggle?"  
>Jareth leant his arm on the wall beside Sarah.<p>

"Such concern for such a small thing. He is lost, no doubt, as are you. Do you still want to continue?"

"Of course I do! Do you think a Halloween costume with throw me off?"

Jareth smiled and put his face near hers.

"It's funny, I could have sworn you were begging for your life a minute ago. No matter. I shall let you proceed."

Jareth leant back, then walked as if to walk into Sarah, but passed through both her and the wall she leant against.

Jareth appeared out of thin air in his throne room and began to pace.

"That was very impressive, but I need something more. Something less myth and more psychological, I cannot fight all my battles physically."

He pondered silently for a moment, and then his eyes grew dark.

"Wait…I have a much better plan…"

The tunnel that Sarah stood in was dark, dank and smelt old, and the more she surveyed it the more scared she felt without Hoggle. Fear overtook her, and she began frantically dashing around the dark labyrinth in search of him. Within seconds, she ran headlong into something small and apparently angry.

"Watch where you're goin'! Oh, Sarah, it's you! I thought that monster would'a got you for sure!"

"Hoggle! I am so glad to see you! And that monster was Jareth, the cheat. I'm so glad I found you!"

"Well, I didn't run far. It's easy to hide when you're small. It was Jareth? What a jerk! Now let's get out of here."

Sarah and Hoggle turned a corner and swiftly discovered a ladder.

"This is what we need!" cried Hoggle in delight as he mounted the ladder. Sarah followed, but did not relish having a goblin rear end in her face for the climb. They both emerged from a hedge in what appeared to be a very green area of the Labyrinth. The bushes were more vivid than any Sarah had ever seen Overground, and the sky had cleared and turned deep blue.

"This is so beautiful, Hoggle."

She inhaled the sweet air, and flowers began to sprout from nearby hedges.

"It ain't if you spend all day tryin' to get round it!"

There was an old yet majestic stone fountain set in the centre of the opening, with fairies sculpted either flying or pouring water from urns into the pool. The vines that grew on the stonework were the greenest Sarah had ever seen, and the effect dazzled her. Tears came to her eyes.

"Once you have been here, Overground isn't really that great any more. Believe me, I've tried enjoying it, but nothing smells nice, everything seems like it is in sepia. I hate it."

"Surely my forlorn Labyrinth cannot fill such a girl with delight?"

Sarah whirled around and was met by the sight of Jareth leant against a hedge in all his finery. He wore pale blue leggings, his fantastic leather boots, a pure white shirt whose ruffles caught the sun and shimmered, and his deep brown leather jacket, which if possible had an even higher collar than before. A cloak hung elegantly from the back of his jacket. Sarah began to blush. Never at the tender age of fifteen did she notice how attractive he was. She had noticed his other-worldly beauty, but more admired him as one might admire a work of art. She now blushed at his overtly tight trousers and forced herself to remain eye contact and not cower from his stare.

"Well, you clearly haven't spent enough time up top."

Jareth swept some dust from his sleeve.

"Oh, but I have, you precious thing. Don't tell me you never noticed the owl watching you performing in the park? Or gliding overhead as you ran home in the rain?"

Sarah turned a violent shade of red.

"You saw that?"

Jareth smiled.

"But of course. Don't you think I would be interested in someone acting out that particular book?"

"You spy on me, you steal my brother, you try to kill me anoggle with that monstrous contraption, and then you become a Minotaur and terrorise us? Do you still watch me?"

Jareth straightened up.

"No. Not since you shamed me and my Labyrinth. I felt little need to be reminded of your face, Sarah."

She scoffed. Although she felt her face was not memorable, she knew very well that in the time she had spent out of the Labyrinth she could not shift his face, or any of the other faces from the Labyrinth, from her mind. Not a minute had gone by when she had not cursed the day that she had wished Toby away, because if it had not been for her naïve selfishness, she would not have met Jareth.

"So, Sarah," he was suddenly stood next to her, staring into her eyes, "How are you enjoying my Labyrinth this time?"

Sarah inhaled and smelt peaches; it was an odd thing for him to smell of, and it made her uneasy.

"It's a piece of," she swallowed, "cake."

Jareth cackled and put his hands on his hips. Hoggle, who had been previously silent, groaned and put his head in his hands.

"So my Labyrinth's a piece of cake is it? I don't suppose you have been trusting the accuracy of that watch, have you?"

Sarah looked down at the fob watch around her neck. The time read half past two.

"Yes I have. Why?"

Jareth laughed again and took the watch in his hand.

"I reorder time, Sarah, and you trusted this?"

His hand gripped tighter around the watch, and the hands readjusted themselves to a quarter past five, the correct time. "It _has_ been running a little slowly! Did you think Overground mechanisms would work here?"

"That's not fair!"

A jolt of yearning shot through Jareth.

"I have waited a while to hear you say that again, Sarah."

"How do I know this isn't a lie, though? You could have just cut my time down like you did last time!"

"Sarah, I am a Goblin King. I find little pleasure in fooling people the same way twice."

"Well, judging by how little your Labyrinth has changed, I doubt that very much Jareth."

He felt strange when she used his name; angry, yet excited.

"Well, sorry to be repetitive. I am rather set in my ways. Here."

He formed a crytal and threw it to her. When she caught it, it turned into a peach.

"You have got to be kidding me. A peach?"

"Yes, well I thought I would deliver it in person this time. These goblins aren't to be trusted."

"I delivered it last time, didn't I?

"Shut up, Hogwart."  
>"Hoggle!"<p>

Sarah interjected.

"What is this for?"

"It's a present."

"Yes, but the last time you gave me this 'present' you threw me off course. I don't see the point in giving me the option."

Jareth looked serious suddenly.

"Sarah, I hope there to be some time when you yourself _choose_ to eat it. Call it a curve ball, I believe that is Overground jargon you will understand."

And in an instant, with a flash and a cloud of glitter, the Goblin King disappeared into the air. Sarah jumped back in surprise. Hoggle looked up from where he had been perched on the fountain's edge, admiring his treasure satchel.

"You have to get used to him doin' that, I can tell you."


	4. Mirror Masque

AN: So more people have added this to their alerts - hooray! I am uploading quite quickly as it is pretty much finished, but I am a big editor so do not want to put it all up at once! Any suggestions/reviews are welcome; it'll help me make the story more enjoyable for you! I don't own anything remotely to do with Labyrinth - the goblin names, the costumes, Ludo, the lyrics to any of the songs, or any songs by Bowie for that matter. I don't own David Bowie..**sobsob**. I wanted to use this chapter to enable Sarah to see another side of Jareth, I think that is important.

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><p>The foliage grew denser as Sarah and Hoggle got further towards the centre. The hedges had been replaced with a forest, with tall twisting trees and many stony paths leading in multiple directions. It was six o'clock according to Sarah's tainted watch, which she no longer trusted. As a result she had been speeding through the Labyrinth; Hoggle finally gave in.<p>

"My legs are a lot shorter than yours! Give me a break!"

Sarah stopped.

"Fine. But we leave in ten minutes, okay?" She grinned and plonked herself down on the ground, laying down her cardigan first. "You want a sandwich?"

"Sure."

"A peach?"

"NO."

Sarah laughed, and understood that no matter how perilous the situation, she was happy for the first time in years. In that moment, she realised that it did not matter to her whether she won or lost; she just wanted to stay, and either outcome gave her that option. Naturally, she wanted to win to prove to Jareth that he would never have power over her, and so that she did not have to serve as a goblin slave for eternity.

"Hoggle, what do you do with yourself, you know, when you're not helping me? In your free time?"

Hoggle was polishing a gem in his treasure collection.

"All sorts. My job officially is to serve Jareth by misguidin' his runners."

"So, why am I different?"

"Well, you were the only one who gave me the time'a'day. Most ignored me or attacked me. I liked ya, that's all. I wouldn't do nothin' to harm ya."

"That's sweet, Hoggle…so, why do you think Jareth asked you to help me?"  
>"I should think he <em>wants<em> you to win, for the show down n' all. I don't like it. You're not safe here."

Sarah sighed.

"But this place…it is so…" she trailed off.

Sarah stood up. In the distance, through the trees, she could see the forest die as wastelands filled with rubbish littered the skyline. Beyond that was her precious goblin city, for which she had longed to enter for ten years. She could wait no longer.

"Hoggle, let's move."

Hoggle groaned and stood up, but a much larger noise came from behind a turn in the path that made him fall over backwards again. From around the edge of the shrubbery stormed a gang of Fierys, eyes blazing and voices screeching.

"Hey, little lady?"

"Not so little now is she, man!"

The Fireys laughed shrilly and cheered.

"What you doin' in our haunt, baby?"

"You gave us the slip last time! You owe us a head!"

"Go a-HEAD, give it us!"

"You know where this is HEADing!"

"Or we can take the little man's instHEAD!"

Hoggle groaned.

A large Firey yelled, "Heads up!" and they all lifted and swapped heads, before breaking into song. Sarah gawped in fear as she and Hoggle backed up against the hedge wall behind them. She grabbed Hoggle's arm. "Hoggle, there's a price on my head with these guys. How do we get out?"

"Come on! We can show you a good time, and it don't cost nothin'!"

Hoggle shuddered.

"Eugh, I hate them! I think we need a miracle, Sarah. How fond are ya of ya head?"

From further away, a huge roar was projected across the Labyrinth and the Fireys looked aghast.

"It's the super scary monster, man!"

"It'll trample our heads!"  
>"And our ears!"<p>

"And our eyes!"

"Where's the referee?"

"RUN!"

The Fireys began to somersault and swing away as a large army of rocks swept across the opening, close on their heels. Sarah felt her heart skip in delight.

"_Ludo_?"

A gigantic orange beast with horns and floppy ears stepped around the corner.

"Sawah? SAWAH BACK!"

Ludo shuffled over and embraced Sarah tightly, then stood back.

"Sawah…different." He pronounced the last word carefully.

"I've been away for a while, Ludo. I missed you." She hugged him again and pushed her hair into his soft fur. He smelt of oak and apples.

* * *

><p>Back in the castle, Jareth was having his own version of fun. He had gathered many of the goblins in the throne room and arranged six of them into a bowling pin formation, and had Squirt, who had climbed the tower again, stood at the front. He held a large crystal in his hand and patrolled back and forth.<p>

"Now then, my fine fellows, what did we agree?"

Squirt spoke up and the other goblins shook.

"No moving. NONE. Or bog."

"No moving from _where_?"

"_Bowling place_!"

"Yes, well done. Now then, places!"

He whipped his cane on the floor and paced to the other side of the room. The goblins stood straight.

"No fair!" muttered Baaba.

"Bad, bad, bad King! Ready for pain!" moaned Borgis.

"Shut up, stupids!" scorned Aelst.

"Bog. B-O-G. Bog…Bog?" worried Dashe.

"So much goblin messes!" cried Grubbe.

The goblins shook as Jareth took his stance. He swung the crystal and it sped towards the goblins, and on impact it exploded into glitter and the goblins flew backwards in various directions. He cheered, then looked around at the spectator goblins.

"Well?"

All the goblins fell about laughing, holding their sides and tripping over each other. Jareth cackled, then glared when they continued laughing.

"Last one out of the room is bogged!" he yelled suddenly.

A huge uproar of goblin screams was followed by a mad dash to the door. In less than ten seconds, all the goblins had vacated the room, but Jareth had not watched to see who needed to be bogged. Instead, he had resumed his seat in his throne and formed a crystal, and was saddened when he saw Sarah deeply nestled in the fur of Ludo. _She isn't supposed to be having fun, she should be terrified! And where did the Fireys go?_ There was something of a hint of jealousy in Jareth's anger as he saw Sarah smell Ludo. He pictured her tucked against his chest and sighed. Even after a whole year he could not ignore the pain of rejection. He had offered her all she could want, her dreams, love and his slavery, and she had cruelly ignored his words. He had desperately wanted that youthful spirit to submit to his will. All the reordering, all the songs, they were nothing to her. _How you turn my world you precious thing._ It was all for nothing.

He wondered if she would eat the peach. In all honesty he had only given it to her because he was intrigued to see if she would voluntarily eat it. He thought she would do it in an attempt to beat him and humiliate him by surviving the amnesia-inducing masquerade.

A small sound at his feet caused Jareth to look down. Grubbe had crept back into the room and sat by the foot of his throne, gazing quizzically at his ruler.

"What is it?"

Grubbe scratched his head.

"Sire, I was wanting to ask something…"

Jareth crouched by Grubbe, his hand cupping his ear.

"Go on."  
>"Why doesn't master sing anymore? The goblins and me like master singing. It more fun than…" Grubbe squeaked.<p>

"Bowling?"

"Yes sire!"

Jareth stood up and towered over Grubbe.

"I don't sing for just _anyone_, you know."

"But, but…you used to!"

Jareth raised his hand to his chin and began to ponder.

"Sire?"

"One moment, I am just deciding what to do with you. Bog, or more bowling?"

"AAAAHHHH!"

Grubbe scampered away quickly, sheltering his head. Jareth sniggered and returned to his throne. The goblin had a point, though. A note had barely passed his lips since she left.

* * *

><p>The darkness of the forest grew more and more oppressive as Sarah, Ludo, and Hoggle made their way through the dense foliage. Sarah glanced at her watch, and although the time of seven o'clock seemed correct, she did not trust the mechanism properly any more. It was tense, much unlike their previous visit, and whilst Hoggle led the gang, Ludo walked by Sarah and shot her worrying glances.<p>

"You alright, Ludo?" She asked.

"Ludo scaaaawed." He moaned.

Sarah smiled apologetically, but knew she could not reassure him.

The forest began to smell strange as the trees slowly whittled away until they were stood in a field full of the most beautiful flowers that Sarah had ever seen. She practically beamed at their beauty. There were colours she had never seen before, and the flowers themselves resembled orchids, but were softer and seemed to be transparent. In the distance she could see the castle at the centre of the Labyrinth.

"Oh, it is so beautiful, why did I not find this place before?" She lamented.

Ludo growled.

"Sarah," said Hoggle, nervously, "These weren't here before. I ain't ever seen them."

"Ah, well what's the worst that could happen?"

Hoggle stared in disbelief at Sarah as she grinned widely and turned to skip into the field. He looked over at Ludo, who stared in amazement at his friend frolicking in the field.

"Come on, guys! The flowers are so aweshome, so beautifuuul!"

Sarah suddenly became drowsy and her entire body became heavy, so she slumped to the floor. Ludo and Hoggle ran to her side.

"Sawah sleeping?"

"Sarah, get up. I ain't sure about this?"

"Hey, it's _fine_. Let's all have a sleep…"

Sarah drifted into oblivion, and was haunted by dancing images in front of her eyes.

* * *

><p>She awoke to the sensation of hitting the ground. <em>I was falling…but where from, and where to<em>? Standing up, she surveyed her situation and was horrified to be in what appeared to be a dimly lit maze constructed of mirrors; her only impulse was fear, and a need to escape.

The hallway of mirrors was impossible to navigate, and Sarah became more disorientated with every corner she turned. Every time she saw her reflection, she jumped out of her skin. She ran for a while longer before becoming properly disturbed. "Hoggle? Ludo? Anyone?" No one came. She felt as though she was in a dream. Frustrated and hysterical from her predicament, she began to run faster until she finally came to a dead end. There stood a mirror so grand that it seemed to give off its own light. It did not, however, reflect Sarah. Instead, she saw her previous visit to the Labyrinth, something she had wanted to see for a long time, but to her surprise it began to play out what seemed to be the entire event from Jareth's perspective. _This is not like a mirror at all_. _This cannot be showing Jareth now…Toby!_

She saw him hug Toby paternally and although it was sweet she felt a pang of fear and wanted to grab her baby brother and keep him from harm. Jareth sung Toby his own personal song, and Sarah could not help but laugh when he leapt camply around the room and danced with her baby brother. She also noticed how his penchant for tight trousers made the dance that bit more enjoyable to watch. She then saw him painfully trying to make his goblins laugh, and she almost felt sorry for how bored he seemed and how miserable he sounded, but her empathy did not extend to sympathy. The next thing she saw was Jareth meeting her and Hoggle in the underground tunnels, and this time Sarah noticed how close Jareth had stood to her. She considered his words. _If I thought for one second that you were betraying me I'd be forced to suspend you headfirst in the Bog of Eternal Stench._ Jareth knew the whole time that Hoggle was betraying him, so why did he never bog him?_ The only time he bogged us was when…I kissed Hoggle…_

The image in the mirror swirled and then settled into a scene Sarah did not recognise. Jareth had intercepted an escaping Hoggle and was demanding that he give Sarah the poisoned peach. Jareth looked soft, dreamlike, and his eyes looked darker. _I'm surprised at you losing your head over a girl._ Sarah's nostrils flared as Jareth's vindictiveness became apparent. _You don't think a young girl could ever like a repulsive little scab like you!_ Sarah growled. "How cruel! Poor Hoggle." _If she ever kisses you I'll turn you into a prince. Prince of the land of stench!_ Sarah seethed. "You possessive freak!"

The scenes she saw began to get a little close to home. She saw Jareth blow crystals across the Labyrinth to mesmerise her; they were filled with dancing that even now made her dizzy. She was surprised, though, at the morose and distressed look on Jareth's face as he juggled the crystals in his hand. There was fear in his eyes, and perhaps self-loathing. She saw her teenage self, dressed in in the purest white dress, with the most fearful expression, lock eyes with the Goblin King, and she could still feel the despair she had felt when Jareth had disappeared. Sarah felt strange watching Jareth observe her pedantically one minute, and laugh as Sarah became more lost and confused the next. When Jareth approached Sarah and began to swing her from side to side, she remembered how strongly he had held onto her waist, and how warm his hand had been. It made her shiver to think about it – he had manipulated her with his charm and had nearly won. As they danced, his soft lips sang sweetly to her; he had promised to protect her even as the world fell down around them. Jareth's eyes never left her, even as people barged past them; he just pulled her to safety.

Sarah swallowed -she knew what was coming. She saw her adolescent-self break from his arms and dash to escape, and was shocked by how the strength of her pulling away had made Jareth stumble backwards. She, for the first time, saw the melancholy in his eyes as he was pushed out of the way by the crowd. It tore Sarah to pieces, just seeing that look. _Urgh, don't feel sorry for him! He stole you brother! All of this was to make you forget about Toby, or have you forgotten?_ She missed her baby brother unbearably, but had not seen him in many years.

It warmed her heart somewhat to see Jareth holding Toby and smiling more widely than she had seen anyone smile, but she was soon angered by him calling his guards and watching the battle from his castle. She watched herself, Hoggle, Ludo and Didymus beat the army with ease, and was impressed with their victory, but she could not stop butterflies rising in her stomach in apprehension. She saw the familiar Escher room, and was touched by the words Jareth sung. _How you turned my world, you precious thing, you starve and near exhaust me. Everything I've done, I've done for you. I move the stars for no one. _She blinked and tears of exhaustion fell down her cheek. The final scene of her victory unfolded, but Sarah did not feel victorious, she felt more confused than ever.

Suddenly, now that the mirror had fogged over, Sarah began to feel intensely claustrophobic and just had to find a way back to her friends. She did not want to leave the mirror she stood before as it seemed like the centre of this glass maze, but still she felt like she was in the wrong place. She turned back to the mirror and saw herself reflected, as in the other mirrors, but this time she was faced with a middle-aged version of herself. She stood in a kitchen, clutching a screaming baby, with a reality television programme blaring. She began to feel nauseous. The room was dreary and the aged Sarah looked miserable, swinging the baby from side to side and humming Jareth's songs to sooth the baby. A man entered the room; he was short, had dark and dull hair and eyes, and he yelled at Sarah. She could not hear what he said, he sounded muffled, but she knew he was being unreasonable; she assumed that this was her future husband. Sarah looked on the mirror in horror as the image began to fade, and she heard a voice. _This is not a gift for an ordinary girl that takes care of a screaming baby_.

The image faded completely and was replaced with one of her as she was now, dressed in a pure white dress and running through the Labyrinth, her skirts and hair billowing and her laugh echoing. She reached the castle and entered with an armful of the sleeping flowers, and placed them in a jar by Jareth's throne before throwing herself at his feet as Jareth stood, in all his splendour, before her, and as he took her hand and she rose from the floor to meet his face, the image faded again. "Someone save me! Someone take me _away_ from this awful place!" Sarah, confused and angry, summoned all of her power and clenched her fist, driving it through the mirror, crying, "You will _not_ have power over me Jareth!"

She was falling, quite quickly, through the air, surrounded by shards of glass that fractured into glitter. Within seconds she had landed back in the field of flowers, and she opened her eyes to see Hoggle and Ludo looking concerned. It was darker. _Oh shit, what time is it?_

"Hoggle?"

"Sawah awake!"

"Sarah, what happened to ya? You've been out for ages! We tried shakin' ya, chucking water on ya, everythin'! We have to hurry if we're gunna make it, you okay?"

Sarah sat up; her head felt heavy.

"Yeah, I think so. I was somewhere else…a mirror maze…"

Hoggle looked shocked, his mouth hanging open.

"The Maze o' Mirrors? You were there? No one normally survives that – they go mad and try to escape, usin' up all their time. Jareth has been tryin' it out since you last ran the Labyrinth. He ain't gunna be happy that you made it."

Sarah considered the sights she saw. _He can't show everyone their previous run...no one else has one...Why show me?_

"Why didn't you guys fall asleep?"

"Special flowers, Sarah, they only work on humans."

Sarah shivered and stood up, annoyed at the cold; it looked like it might rain. Ludo saw she was cold and wrapped his huge arms around her.

"Thanks Ludo. Hoggle, how much time do we have?"

"It's about half nine, I think."

"Oh my God I was out that long? You should have carried me! Quick, let's get going."

The trio set off towards the rocky hills that lay beyond the field. Sarah continued to shiver, despite the cold. One set of questions kept revolving around her head. _Was that really my future? Can I change it? Would life be better here? Oh, get over yourself! What makes you think this is all real anyway?_

* * *

><p>"BLASTED GIRL!" Jareth threw crystals like bullets across the throne room and narrowly avoided the goblins that ran for cover. "THOSE WERE FLOWERS I TOOK PAINS TO STEAL FROM THE FAE REALM! I HAD BEEN WORKING ON THAT FOR MONTHS! HOW COULD IT FAIL?"<p>

A small goblin popped his head out from under a chair.

"Sire, majesty, did lady not break glass last time?"

It was a fair observation, but Jareth roared and threw fire at the goblin, who ducked back under the chair.

"It looks like this is going to be harder than I thought. She has four hours, and only needs to get past the bog and the goblin city, then I could be ruined!"

The goblin peaked out again.

"Did master not...want her to..._win_?"

Jareth stopped throwing things.

"I know I said that! I am just...out of sorts! Her reaction to my side of the story was not the desired outcome. I think I am at risk. I wanted her to make it so that I could offer..." He trailed off. "If she wins, I do not think she will have the heart to hear what I have to say. She is too arrogant."

"Surely sire can twist bargain, not keep promise?"

Jareth sat back in his throne, still enraged.

"But it is not that simple, I realise now. I can try to go back on my word, make her stay, but deep down Sarah still thinks I am a figment of her imagination, as she always has. I can feel it. Unless she accepts that all of this is real, then I remain in her power. It is just the way it is done. But I would not expect a cretin like you to understand, Grubbe."

Grubbe looked confused.

"How will majesty convince lady?"

Jareth sighed and put his hand on his chin.

"That is the problem, Grubbe. I thought a second visit would convince her, but she is an adult now. She has been introduced to the notions of insanity and Overground mental health. All of this just seems like a ridiculous dream to her; she infuriates me so much! I hope when she finally gets here, she will see that I cannot live within her any longer."


	5. In a Bit of a Bog

AN: Thanks for the kind words from Flying Dragonite, it's always nice to be reviewed! It's fast approaching a show down with Jareth, eep! Just to mention, I do not own Fiery's or their songs. Thank goodness. I like my head on my shoulders (or on Jareth's...). Also, I am a bit dense when it comes to uploading chapters and editing their format before I publish them, so sorry if it seems like I've uploaded more than I have! I have to keep re-publishing D:

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><p>As the trio turned a rocky corner, it became apparent what was coming. A profound stench infected the air and the sound of spluttering and putrid stagnant slime offended the ears of Sarah, who lifted her wrist to her nose in despair. "Oh my God, it smells even worse than last time!"<p>

"SMELL BAD!"

"Oh dear god, yuck!"

Hoggle took deep breaths through his mouth.

"Let's get goin', hurry!"

They skirted around the edge of the bog, using the rocky wall as support, and finally reached a small area of dry ground to pause on. The bog seemed to have a life of its own – it breathed and moved in delight at the prospect of bogging someone. To her surprise, Sarah saw a Fiery hanging from a tree above the bog; the branch was old and looked like it would break. When Fiery saw Sarah he cried, "Little lady, little lady! You gotta help me, man! I don't wanna smell like dat! Get me down honey!"

"Oh alright, hang on!"

Sarah looked around and saw some old rope on the ground, so she grabbed it and swung it up so that it wrapped around the branch next to the Fiery.

"Can you slide down this if I pull it tight?"

"I'm gunna try!"

He took off his leg and looped it over the rope, before holding each end of his leg and zip-wiring down the rope and landing neatly next to Sarah.

"Aw man, how can I ever repay you?"

"Just promise me you and your gang will stop trying to take mine and my friends' heads! Oh, and answer me this. How did you get up there?"

"The big boss put me up there – I took the head from one of his statues and boy was he mad!"

"Why do you stay here? Why do any of you put up with him?"

"Well, we tried to tell you last time, honey! I don't got no problems, ain't got no suitcase, ain't got no clothes to worry about, ain't got no real estate or jewellery or gold mines to hang me up!

"Sounds care free."

"Yeah, you get the idea! I can be really lazy, eye rollin', funky strollin', ball playin', hip swayin', trouble makin', booty shakin', tripping, passing, jumping, bouncing, drivin', stylin', creeping, pouncing, shoutin', screamin', double dealin', rockin', rollin', and a reelin'!"

"Alright, we get it!" yelled Hoggle. "Now can we please leave?"

"Sure thing little man! You are so harsh! A smile a day keeps the doctor away, you know? Right, I'm off – heads up!"

And with that the Fiery sprung up onto the rocks and climbed away in search of his gang. Sarah and her friends continued through the boggy marshland.

"Hoggle, Ludo, do you like it here?"

Hoggle turned his head away as Ludo looked to him for help.

"Guys?"

"Well, I ain't gunna lie to ya. I likes it here, it is a simple life and I get to do pretty much whatever I want. I ignore most of the runners and only have real problems when Jareth recruits me to help him fend 'em off. I guess that stupid creature were right, I ain't got no problems here. I tried it Overground once, I hated it. Jareth granted me a week there. It were awful. People starin', and no one were friendly. Everyone judges up there. Down here, no one cares what you are."

"But aren't you scared of Jareth?"

"Yeah, but who ain't afraid of those in charge? Don't think I ain't heard about all the stuff rulers have done Overground. I heard about war and that. I think I'd rather be bogged, if it's all the same."

Sarah stiffened. "What about you, Ludo?"

Ludo blinked a few times and then looked into Sarah's eyes.

"Ludo have _frwends_. Ludo like it here. Ludo miss Sawah."

Sarah folded her arms. "You all put up with living under Jareth, even though he threatens to bog people every day? And steals children?"

"Well, where would you rather live, Sarah? In a land of dictators, violence and money, or in a land of fairies, Jareth and stench?"

Sarah looked blank for a moment and then raised her left hand to her head.

"That's what I thought."

The group continued to walk towards where the unsteady bridge used to stand, but now there was just a sheer drop into the bog. A sound of scuttling followed by a bark caused Sarah to look up, and her eyes met those of a small fox-like creature in Renaissance dress perched on the back of a large white dog.

"Sir Didymus!"

Sarah almost leapt for joy.

"Fair maiden! Oh my, it has been many a month since you graced our humble Labyrinth, how servest thou?"

"I'm wonderful for seeing you, but please, do you know a way we can get across? Can Ludo call the rocks?"

Didymus looked forlorn.

"He can try, sweet lady, but the Goblin king removed all the rocks from within the bog after we so quickly foiled his bridge."

"Ludo, at least try!"

Ludo nodded, and then lifted his head and roared a long and deep roar. No rocks came.

"Oh, but how can we cross?"

A flash of inspiration caused Sarah to run and retrieve the rope from the rotting tree.

"Could we swing across?"

Hoggle scoffed. "Do you really expect Ludo to _swing_?"

Ludo groaned nervously.

"Well, do you have a better plan?"

Sarah had no time to come up with an alternative. She swung the rope up above their heads and it attached itself to a thick branch. Taking a running jump, she swung across the gap and landed next to Didymus, before hugging him tightly.

"That was a truly noble deed, my lady!"

"Okay, Hoggle, your turn!"

She swung the rope back. Hoggle took it nervously.

"Here I come!"

He ran and swung across the gap, screaming all the way, and landed at Sarah's feet.

"Fair sir, how brave!"

Sarah laughed and then turned to Ludo.

"Rope too small, Ludo too big. Sawah, no!"

Sarah frowned.

"I know, Ludo, but I don't know how else to get you over."

"Sawah must go, Ludo find way."

"No, Ludo, we are not leaving you!"

"Sawah, go!"

Sarah wrestled with her conscious.

"My lady, I shall stay here and wait for Ludo, but you and Hoggle must go on! You are the talk of the Labyrinth, no one except you has slain Jareth before, let alone twice! You must go on and fight!"

"Okay, but try to catch up with us quick!"

She bent down and kissed his furry nose, which made him blush.

"My lady!"

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><p>The time was nearing eleven o'clock, and Jareth was getting more aggravated than ever. Primarily, the reason was because it seemed that Sarah had outsmarted his Labyrinth again, but he was also worried that she would not make it; could he bear her being here against her will? Did he even have the power to keep her here? He wanted her to <em>want<em> to stay, but almost wanted her to stay regardless of what she wanted. He just did not want to be without her. He would attempt to make her want to stay, or try to use his power to make her. _Oh dear, Jareth, you are predictable_. He sighed.

"I think it is time I prepared myself. Goblins, assemble!"

A large band of goblins scurried into the room and stood before him in a line, pushing and shoving to get to the front.

"Now, as you are aware Sarah is approaching the city gates, and we don't want a repeat of last time, do we?"

The goblins all nodded and mumbled.

"Good. Now go to your battle stations and be ready. I want no failures this time!"

The goblins ran from the room, excited and scrabbling, all discussing battle strategies. Of course, Jareth knew they would only buy him a bit more time; he had a real trick up his sleeve. Jareth flung his cloak over himself and as it fell to the floor it revealed new apparel. He was dressed in deep reds and blacks, and his new cape seemed to be made of liquid it was so soft. He pulled up his gloves.

"Here we go."


	6. Baptism of Fire

Sarah and Hoggle had been accosted by several junk ladies on their way to the gates, many trying to offer Sarah her old room from her adolescence. Although she was tempted to see it, she knew it was dangerous. They reached the gates at a half-past eleven and realised that they might still have to face a fifteen-foot robot.

"Hoggle, is that robot still there?"

"I dunno Sarah, I think I broke it last time, but I wouldn't trust that."

They pushed the door open and were met with the sight of a desolate goblin city. The robot was nowhere in sight, and neither were the goblins. Sarah heard a chicken cluck, but the rest of the city was silent.

"I don't like this, where is everyone?"

A small snapping sound made Sarah glance left, and she saw the barrel of a gun sticking out of a cellar door.

"DUCK, HOGGLE!"

A flurry of bullets came showering over their heads as Hoggle and Sarah ducked and ran for cover. They ducked into a doorway of a small goblin abode and literally threw the tiny goblins out of the door. It was larger than expected inside, and there were many windows, which Sarah feared would be a problem. Soon, the house was surrounded by loud goblins, all trying to rock the walls. "Oh, come on, not again!" The repetition angered Sarah, who began to climb shelves on the wall in order to reach the top.

Sarah climbed to the top of the house, inspired by Ludo's previous manoeuvrings, and looked out across the city. It seemed larger than last time, and there were many more goblins, with more threatening expressions.

"Hoggle, what do we do?"

"I dunno, Sarah, I dunno!"

When all hope seemed lost, a low rumbling filled the city; it sounded like thunder. Suddenly, hundreds of rocks filled the streets, crushing all in their path and forcing goblins to run for cover.

"Ludo?"

Sarah turned to the gates and saw Ludo moaning as Didymus yelled threats at passing goblins from his noble steed.

"Ludo! You are amazing!"

Goblins ran in all directions to escape the speeding rocks, jumping into cellars, diving into open doors and climbing up walls. Sarah could not quite believe that they had managed to beat he goblins the same way twice. It seemed too easy.

Within a few minutes the city was deserted and very messy, and the five were assembled at the gate. Sarah picked up one of the bullets from the floor and realised that they crumbled into dust on impact. _It's all for show_…

"Fair lady, what is the plan?"

Sarah bit her lip.

"I guess, storm the castle? It just all seems too easy, I mean didn't we solve this the same way last time? It seems an odd thing not to change?"

The truth of Sarah's statement quickly became apparent as the ground began to rumble and split. The air grew warm and the already dark sky grew darker.

"Ludo scaaaawed…"

A large beast, a black dragon, came climbing from out of the ground and set its red eyes on Sarah. It was huge, almost as tall as the castle itself. Its scales were luminous, shiny and sharp, and its teeth were as long as Hoggle.

"RUN!" cried Hoggle.

The group all ran in opposite directions, ducking under arches and avoiding rocks as the dragon stood up and breathed fire into the night sky. It first followed Ludo, the slowest, and chased him from the city before blowing fire at him and blocking off the city entrance. Hoggle ran into a house that the dragon quickly set on fire, so Hoggle jumped from a window and ran towards the castle, before the dragon swung its tail and knocked Hoggle through the air to land near Ludo. Sir Didymus, as confrontational and noble as ever, commanded his steed to turn around and fight.

"Aha, cruel beast, I have you now!"

The dragon roared and blew fire at them, and Ambrosious fled.

Having eliminated her friends, the dragon now turned to hunt Sarah, who had hidden in a small goblin house. She breathed heavily, crying slightly in fear at the harm done to her friends. _What am I going to do?_ She looked at her watch. She had fifteen minutes left. _I'm going to be stuck as his slave forever. Is that as bad as dying a fiery death?_ She stood still and prayed she would make it, but her prayers were futile; the dragon had followed her scent and found her. Using its mighty talons, it ripped off the roof of the house and saw Sarah cower before it. The beast took Sarah up in its claws and was ready to roast her screams away, when it began to feel strange.

Sarah's tears had fallen onto its scales and where they had landed, its scales began to feel cold, somehow miserable. The dragon tried to breathe fire, but nothing came out. It felt something it had never felt before – empathy. His scales grew blue and his eyes icy, until he began to shrink. Sarah fell from his hand and landed on the bed in the goblin house, and when she stepped outside the ruins she saw that the dragon had shrunk to the size of her hand. It looked up, crying, and said in a low, hissy whisper, "Your friends are alive. Go now, before your time runs out." Were Ludo, Hoggle and Didymus alive? She had no time to question it. Sarah nodded and ran towards the castle.

Even though Sarah's brain told her that it did not matter, because her friends were most likely a dream, her heart outweighed her head and she cried for the potential loss of her friends. She was angrier than ever, and ready to face Jareth. He had hurt her friends, and she was desperate to win the Labyrinth from him. However, there was still a nagging feeling at the pit of her stomach, one that insisted life as Jareth's slave would be better than a life Overground.

The castle interior was dark, and burning torches lit her way. She stood face to face with a familiar staircase and prepared herself, pulling her jumper into place and running her hands through her hair, clearing her throat, checking her watch, for some reason applying some lipstick, before taking the first step.

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><p>AN: Soooo...I am building suspense here! No Jareth in this short chapter *sucks in air through teeth*. And what's more, I am going away for a few days and won't be updating O: I'm counting down to when Jareth tries to persuade Sarah to stay with him - will he convince her, and if not, does he have enough power over her to make her stay?...I wish I had a fifteen foot robot to guard my house. I'd call it Chip and love it. But I don't own it. Or any of the characters in the Labyrinth.<p> 


	7. I Can't Live Within You

When Sarah finally reached the top of the staircase and entered the Escher room, she was appalled to find the room dark yet somehow still shadowy, and eerily silent. The once vibrant room had lost its magic; the magnetic pull to the floor was no longer there, and so Sarah had to try harder than ever not to fall. She glanced frantically around the room until her eyes rested on an alcove in the wall that looked much like a window. Jareth, sat in deep red finery, gazed out onto his Labyrinth and juggled crystals absent-mindedly in his left hand. He sighed deeply, then spoke.

"So, my Labyrinth's a piece of cake, it seems."

His voice echoed as Sarah tried to find a way to reach him. He took a crystal and blew it from his hand out into the Labyrinth. It floated to the sky and exploded into stars. He continued in this vein until Sarah finally reached the platform in front of where he sat.

"Well, if I am honest I'm surprised that you chose to change so little."

"Yes, well if one is working with only a year then one has to make compromises. I knew that I could never impress you properly, Sarah. I suppose a dragon, a mirror maze, a goblin army, and Fae flowers were not enough."

Sarah laughed inwardly at just how much the Labyrinth had always impressed her, and how it always would. He blew the last crystal away and turned to face her. There she stood, in all her glorious beauty. Her black jumper clung to her form, her raven hair floated slightly in the draft, and her eyes practically glowed. It was evident that magic from the Labyrinth had passed into her; she looked like a Medieval warrior princess. She shivered under his glare.

"You look cold. I suppose I should return this."

He materialised her cardigan in his hand and handed it to her, and a quote came to Sarah's consciousness.

"As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather-

"So is he that singeth songs to a heavy heart." He finished and began to pace. "Do you think me cruel, Sarah?"

"Of course I do. You beat your goblins, you steal children, you set dragons on people, for all I know you killed my friends, and-" Sarah spluttered and tried to think of more, "-you took the poor worm's wife!"

Jareth sighed heavily and laughed softly at the absurd conversation.

"I did not take his wife. She left him for another worm, and so I convinced him that I had taken her so that he could still believe she loved him. So you see, I am not always cruel. Do not pretend to know everything about me, Sarah."

"You confuse me, Jareth. I know you helped me find the castle, I just don't understand why. Did you doubt I could do it? Is this a trap?"

Jareth laughed hollowly and echoed across the stairs.

"Forgive me. It's just I had imagined that with your so superior intellect you would have figured it out by now."

Sarah cast her mind back to the images she had seen in the mirror, the songs he had sung and the pain on his face when she had said the immortal words y_ou have no power over me_.

"I can see that you have some sort of…possessive attachment to me, Jareth-

"'Possessive attachment'? Is that what you want to call it?"

"I know you like to own and control the things that interest you-

"_I love you_, Sarah!" He growled.

The goblin king's words reverberated off of the walls. Sarah gawped in shock, as Jareth had stood up before her and yelled into her face. The hue of his eyes became more apparent and his hair stood on end. She felt fear in every vein of her body. She spoke, in almost a whisper.

"I am sorry Jareth, but I don't think you do. I don't think you understand love."

"And, prey, who are you to judge how I feel?" He stared angrily.

"It's the things you say and sing! 'I can't live within you'?"

"Sarah, how could you have so idiotically misconstrued my meaning? I said 'Though I do believe in you, yes _I do_' - I believe in you, Sarah, so why can't you believe in me? I 'live without the sunlight', I 'love without your heartbeat'. I do not need permission to exist, I am not a figment of your imagination as you so often think me. I can't live within you Sarah, I can't, because if I do there is never any chance of you taking me seriously!"

Sarah raised a hand to her forehead in confusion.

"How could I take you seriously, Jareth, at the age of fifteen? I had no idea how you felt. I can barely take you seriously now. You can't stand the idea that I could ever possess _you_! That you could ever be a part of _me_! Well, guess what? I beat you and your Labyrinth, you and it belong to me now!"

"I see you have forgotten everything important! I promised you Valentine evenings, the sky, the moon, the stars, your dreams and to be there for you every time the world fell down around you! But you said no, like the arrogant child you are, and just continued to want more and more, the more I offered!"

"Urgh! Do you not remember your stupid words? 'Just let me rule you'. This is not about love, this is about ownership! Did it not occur to you that I might not feel the same way? When did you ever ask me how I felt? It was all about what _you_ wanted!"

"Sarah, I know what you need, what you desire, I can see your dreams; I have seen them all!"

"JARETH! Urgh, I wish you would get out of my head!"

She took a defiant step back, only to realise that she was stood too near to the edge of the stone platform. As she fell backwards, Jareth appeared in front of her in an instant and threw his arm around her waist, dragging her back onto the platform, his eyes bulging in fear. She could feel his warm hand in the nape of her back, and it reminded her of their dance. Sarah gasped at the closeness of their proximity and noticed how tired, pale and despondent Jareth looked, and the reality of the situation hit her. Their faces were inches apart. Jareth stared deeply into what felt like her soul, inhaled deeply and sighed, his eyes becoming foggy and darker, more morose. She felt his sigh on her red lips; his other hand had wrapped around her waist and he held her for a moment. He closed his eyes in pain, and she felt him wilt.

"As you wish, Sarah. I can live within you no longer, you precious thing. I'm not powerful enough."

Without warning, the room around them began to crumble and Jareth transfigured into an owl, flying from the room. Without Jareth holding her, Sarah fell backwards and floated towards the ground. She fell through broken walls, feathers, leaves and fragmented glass before landing on her own bed, back in her flat.

It was silent. The clock read midnight.

The anti-climactic nature of her situation caused her to cry out.

"_What the hell_? I beat you! You promised me the Labyrinth! You promised I could stay! You cruel man, you promised me everything and then took it all away!"

A voice inside her called out to her. _He promised you everything, and yet you gave him nothing, Sarah. It seems you are still just as selfish_.

"Oh, I know, I _know_!"

The magnitude of all her mistakes became apparent to her and grief came crashing down on her like rocks. Sarah buried her head under her pillow and cried herself to sleep, feeling too miserable to change out of her clothes.

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><p>That night, it seemed as if Jareth sang to her in her dreams. <em>No one can blame you for walking away. Too much rejection, no love injection<em>…Sarah tossed and turned as shadowy images danced through her dreams. She moaned through her sleep. _Don't tell me truth hurts, little girl, 'cause it hurts like hell_. Sarah sat up.

"I thought you were getting out of my head, Jareth." She mumbled sadly as she lay back down and closed her wet eyes, realising it was her that was remembering his words. Even if he chose to leave her, get out of her head, she would still never forget him. Jareth had more power over her than she could bear. She looked at her pocket watch, longing for the thirteenth hour that was now absent and buried her head again.

Outside of her window, a pair of ghost-like eyes penetrated the rain-splattered glass, and a tight mouth sang softly. _Down in the Underground you'll find someone true. Down in the Underground, a land serene, a crystal moon_…the figure faded away into the night.

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><p>AN: SURPRISE! I thought before I went away I would leave the story in a place where Sarah was also waiting for more as well - waiting for contact with the Labyrinth again! I loved writing this chapter - I always loved the idea of Sarah having enough power over Jareth that if she didn't believe he was real, he literally couldn't exist. He 'can't live within her'. It's like she's his power source. <em>Anyhoo<em>, I hope the cliffhanger is a good one! I don't own the lyrics to the Bowie songs referenced, and I certainly don't own any material by Escher. I have nowhere to keep so many stairs...The proverb that Sarah and Jareth mention is Proverbs 25:20, but I saw it originally on a Millais painting, on the frame of the 'Awakening Conscious'.


	8. Homecoming

_But what no one knew was that the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the girl, and he had given her certain powers._

In the week that had passed since Sarah had left the Labyrinth, she had largely remained in her sweatpants, either reading medieval literature in bed or watching films, wrapped in a blanket on the couch. In truth, in the two days she had not left her bedroom. She had checked the mirror at every opportunity, and she kept her large window unlocked, and the curtain open. It was in vain. Since she had commanded that the Goblin King and his Labyrinth remove themselves from her life, she had regretted every last second of the time she had spent in the Escher room. Of course, she had seen his point. For so long she had believed him and his Labyrinth to be a childhood fantasy, but now she was without it she realised that whether it was real or not, to her it was real – and she needed it.

She had read her little red book at least ten times a day to try to find a way back to the Labyrinth – she had even considered wishing a child away. Sarah looked at the clock from the couch and then panicked – time went so much faster here than in the Labyrinth – how long was a week? She threw off her blanket and ran to the mirror, yelling, "Hoggle? Ludo? Didymus? Where are you?"

The phone rang and made her jump, and she refused to answer it. It clicked to voicemail and Annie's voice came out of the machine.

"Sarah, I don't know where you are but I think you should call me. I have had enough of you treating me like such a fair-weather friend, you seem so detached all the time. The acting school opens for the autumn soon, will you still be teaching there or not? Give me a call!" A click signalled the end of the call.

Sarah unplugged the phone and returned to the sofa. She felt like she could never leave her flat again.

That night, when Sarah lay in bed and failed to sleep, she heard a strange noise like glass shattering, followed by a bright light. She sat up and pulled a jumper over her t-shirt and torn jeans before cautiously approaching the mirror. She was dazed to see Didymus there, his clothes dirty and his hat ripped, and yet thrilled at the same time.

"Didymus! Oh thank goodness, I knew you were alive! I thought that dragon had you!"

Didymus looked upset.

"But my lady, that great battle finished but two months ago! We have much greater problems to handle now!"

"But, I don't-" _Of course, one week would be ten there…_

"My lady, a great darkness has fallen over the Labyrinth since your departure. No one has seen or heard of his majesty, and the bog has spread and surrounded the goblin city. Fair maiden, I must ask you to return and help us!"

Sarah was so busy being thrilled and rejoicing in the fact that she could get back to the Labyrinth that it took a moment for fear to kick in properly.

"But what can I do, Didymus? I am just a girl from the Overground who is too melodramatic and still wishes she was fifteen! How can I help?"

"Sarah, you have grand courage that outweighs any I have ever seen. You left the Labyrinth and you left it and its ruler lacking, and as such evil has begun to envelop our world. You are a part of the Labyrinth now, it needs you. I must ask you to return to Jareth and try to make him stronger, for without you I fear he sees no point."

"Oh Didymus, he thinks he loves me but he doesn't! He just wants to control me!"

"Ask yourself madam, who controls who? Who did he hopelessly fawn over from his owl form as a young girl acted in the park? Who took your brother, once you asked, and reordered time? Who defeated him and won the Labyrinth? Who left him in a frenzy, causing him to spend a whole year with little sleep trying to make the Labyrinth better? Who defeated his dragon and threw him into despair? In a way, you control him. Until you acknowledge that he is real, he is forever in your power, in your control. You need to free him, as only he can save the Labyrinth and all its people."

Sarah cast her mind back to his words. _Everything I've done I've done for you_. She had to go back, she had to save him. Tears began to form in her tired eyes.

"I believe you exist, all of you. I think somewhere, deep down, I always knew you did. My Overground logic didn't let be believe it though, I just took it all for granted. I don't know how you all exist, or where, or why, but all I know is that I need you, all of you, forever, and I don't belong here anymore – I never have! I have no family, few friends and no money, but down in the Underground everything seems easier. I'd rather live like a slave down there than free up here! I'm coming with you, just let me pack some things."

"As you wish, my lady."

Sarah began to dash around the room, cleaning her teeth, shoving mementos into a large bag, and scribbling a note to Annie saying she had moved to Scotland to start a new life with a man called Jerry. She applied a thick layer of red lipstick and put on her best running shoes, before slinging the bag over her shoulder and returning to the mirror. Didymus awaited her patiently.

"I'm ready…what do I have to do to come back?"

"Madam, you have so much power, all you need do is express it aloud."  
>Sarah looked puzzled, then laughed at how easy it seemed.<p>

"I wish to return to the Labyrinth! Right NOW!"

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><p>Somewhere, deep in the heart of the Labyrinth, the Goblin King had hidden himself in a large, white room that goblin, dwarf, nor monster could find. Jareth sat, staring blankly at the room around him. Here, he was safe, but only for the moment. He was fading; his skin was as pale as his hair, and his clothes were grey and silver, clinging to his frail body. His eyes had grown black and his lips white. Soon, none of it would matter. <em>Soon, Jareth, you can find peace<em>.

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><p>AN: I have really enjoyed this story, but I think it is nearing its close. However, I did start writing a new one on the train! Thanks to everyone following the story, it warms my heart! I do not own any material from the Labyrinth; my landlords wouldn't allow me to have a Bog Of Eternal Stench...or a Fiery.<p> 


	9. Third Time Lucky

AN: This story is fast approaching its end - I will be sad to see it over. I found this chapter quite hard to write, primarily because Jareth is such a difficult character to explain! I hope it reads well. Reviews are always welcome! I don't own any of the material from the Labyrinth. I did, however, buy a big glass marble the other day...

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><p>Sarah landed in the throne room of the castle, a room she had been in three times now. The first two times, it had been messy, dim and had a feeling of solemnity about it. Now, the change was clear – the room was ice cold, dark and there were cobwebs on everything. There was no magic in this room, it was dead. She ran to the window and looked out on her beloved Labyrinth, and cried aloud when she saw that the Bog of Eternal Stench had grown into an enveloping, revolting darkness that spread across the Labyrinth like a plague and destroyed everything in its path. The Bog had reached the city gates, and the goblins cast mediocre spells in an attempt to protect their city.<p>

Spinning around frantically, Sarah looked for a place that Jareth might be. _Oh, I wish I could find you_.

Sarah had underestimated the power of her magic, as she was terrified when she was swept from her feet and thrown through a cloud of magic, landing headfirst in the Labyrinth's ball room. She sat up, rubbing her head, and looked around. The room was dimly lit, full of shadows and bubbles hovered around the empty space. Masquerade masks littered the ground and the spectre of dancing hung in the air. Shattered glass was strewn everywhere. In a corner, Sarah spotted Jareth propped up against a wall, looking pale and half-dead. He seemed blue instead of fleshy. She slowly approached him, avoiding the glass, and the sound of echoing footsteps made Jareth start and meet the sight of Sarah, looking fearful and cold.

"Sarah? Am I dreaming?"

"Would it matter if you were?"

Jareth looked confused.

"I can assure you I am real."

He snorted hollowly and withered a little.

"I cannot seem to assure you of anything, Sarah."

"Well, maybe try again. Tell me about you. Who are you? Are you human? Start at the beginning."

Jareth sat up.

"Very well. I may as well tell you, since I have nothing to lose. I am a Fae, Sarah. There are two kinds – Seelie and Unseelie. The Seelie Faes are benevolent, unless of course you cross them, and the Unseelie, well…let's just say they are the less friendly kind. My parents are both Unseelie Faes, and as a result brought me up to hate humans. They would rather harm one than help one. As a child they would tell me of a place where I could one day rule, a magical place where I could gather human slaves for their realm. When I was fifteen, I was appointed Goblin King of the Labyrinth. I had no choice but to accept the position, it was that or become a goblin.

"They owed a favour to the previous ruler, and to be honest they were not so bothered to see me go; they returned to the Realm of Faes without a second thought. I was angry that my parents had so easily given me up, and was ready to take my anger out on any human that wished away a child. However, when the first boy wished his baby brother away, I saw how beautiful and unique a human child was, and I suppose the Unseelie anger in me weakened.

"I transformed the Labyrinth into a world where forgotten children could live peacefully. I never wanted to turn the children into goblins, but I had to in order to keep them off the radar – I knew that the High Council of Faes would take them away if they were ever discovered. I looked after the Labyrinth and the inhabitants, but I never grew attached to those within it – I did not want to cause anyone harm should I ever leave; attachment is not desirable to me, or my parents. I was cruel only to be kind. That and the fact, well, I am a Fae after all – sometimes I cannot help but be cruel.

"I lost touch with my parents, though they used to visit and involve themselves in my business. They were naturally angered that they were not being sent any human slaves, and disowned me when I refused to marry any of their suggested brides. It was difficult to provide excuses to the High Court. I ruled alone for one thousand, three hundred years, and although I was all-powerful, people lost faith in me, people Overground stopped believing the myth, and so I lost power.

"But then I became alert to someone in the Overground who believed more in the Labyrinth than anyone else ever had, and I was excited. With more belief, I could make the Labyrinth stronger and then not answer to the High Court; my magic would be stronger.

"So I listened, and luckily that person wished her younger brother away. I was of course frightening; I played my part, and enjoyed toying with her, but the closer she got to the centre the more I realised how painful the thought of her leaving was. I understand that my attachment and desire to enforce my will over her got muddled, and I ruined my chance at happiness. I was stuck between the desire to love her, and have revenge on the girl who beat me and my Labyrinth.

"Once she left, the Labyrinth lost some of its sparkle, I grew more tired and realised that I had foolishly given the girl some of the Labyrinth's power, only for her to stop believing. I grew darker, I tried again, only to expose my heart once more and be rejected. I gave up on ever thinking she would see me as anything other than a ridiculous man in tights in a far off land, at the back of her imagination, in her fantasy. And that brings me to the present. After she left, everything fell apart. There was not enough power in me or the Labyrinth to keep either party going, and so we gave up, I retreated here. The worst of the matter was that in her second visit, much more of the Labyrinth's power had transferred into her, so when she wished me away I no longer had any power over her – I was entirely at her disposal, I was nothing. How can I be a king if my Labyrinth, my people and my lady disobey me? I offered her my love and she dashed away my dreams."

Sarah paused for thought.

"Jareth, I think we have different notions of what constitutes love."

Jareth sighed and put his hand over his eyes, clasping his forehead.

"Clearly. I am from another time, Sarah. Where I come from, women marry at a young age and submit to their husbands. I am a man of great acquired customs, most of which you forced me to question."

Sarah sat down beside Jareth, who flinched slightly. They sat in silence for a minute or two.

"No one has ever scared me as much as you did when I was a girl – you were the villain and I had read about your terrible Labyrinth. I thought I had to beat you, to return home. I mean, how could you expect me to leave my family and my life, or doom my brother for that matter? But now… now I have nothing, I see how happy I could have been here."

"If I may ask, Sarah, what happened to your family?"

Sarah sighed and dipped her head slightly.

"My father died of cancer not long after I returned from the Labyrinth – Toby was so young he cannot remember Dad. Karen was nice to me for a while, but eventually lost her tether with me when I was seventeen. I used to act ridiculously for my age, drinking, smoking and the like. She wanted to put me into care, called me a bad influence on Toby, but I ran away and squatted for a year, finally getting a job in a bar and learning to make my way, taking acting courses and working. I have only seen them twice since; Toby knows who I am but is fourteen now, he doesn't really care much for me, and why should he really?"

"But do you not still love him?"

She thought about it carefully.

"I suppose I always will, but I don't miss him too much."

"Love is a strange emotion."

"I love the _Labyrinth_, I love that it is real and feel so lucky to have so much power here when I have so little power Overground. But most of all, I love that you kept trying. I love that you exist, that you aren't a figment of my adolescent brain. I had to lose everything to see what I could have had – you only visited me when I was at my lowest and showed me how life could be. Jareth, I couldn't live without you or your Labyrinth."

Sarah put her lips near his ear and sung softly into his ear, "_Oh I do believe in you, yes I do._"

Jareth closed his eyes and groaned. "_You starve and near exhaust me_," he moaned. He stared at her cautiously as she sang.

"_Your eyes can be so cruel…_" He sighed at her words.

Sarah smiled melancholically. "We have never spoken like this before. It feels strange. I feel like I'm not worthy to talk so intimately with the Goblin King."

"Ha! Look at me Sarah, I am a wreck."

"You are still just as terrible and devastating as when I first met you. I feel entirely inadequate, and to be honest I cannot understand why you care for me."

Some colour returned to Jareth's visage.

"Life has treated you badly in the Overground. Your self-esteem is lower than I anticipated, you always acted so confidently. You do not seem to realise how powerful or special you are; you have brought me back to life. Look, Sarah, I do not expect you to want to stay with me. You are welcome to stay in the Labyrinth, if we can save it, here in the castle, but I will keep out of your way."

"Jareth, I know you can live without me, you don't live within me, but the point is you don't _have _to live without me. The difference this time is that I want to _let_ you rule me as my king, I want to fear you and your magic, and I want to love you as I always should have done. I will do as you say, so long as you still want to be my slave – no matter how contradictory that is! I will be your servant, or whatever you wish me to be."

Jareth closed his eyes in an attempt to calm his raging thoughts, then said, "Will you help me?"

"Yes."

Without warning, as Sarah planted a kiss on Jareth's forehead, the room exploded with colour and shattered, transporting the two back to the throne room. The smell of the Bog had travelled into the castle, and Jareth acted quickly, taking Sarah's hand and guiding her to the window. The Bog had broken the city walls and threatened to ruin the whole city, and goblins ran to the castle as the Bog infiltrated their homes. "Sarah." Jareth looked intently at her and carefully tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He looked like a candle, about to go out. "I need you to use all your magic and banish the Bog to its original dwelling. You are the only one who can."

Sarah gazed at the Bog in fear.

"But Jareth, how can I? I am just a human girl!"

"You are a truly great _woman_. Sarah, remember when you told Toby the story of the Labyrinth that fateful night? What was the most important thing?"

Sarah cast her mind back and thought hard. _Once upon a time…and the baby…after a hard day of housework…_That was it! _But what no one knew was that the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the girl, and he had given her certain powers._

"I have magic."

"Much magic, you have the power to wish great things. I need you to concentrate and wish the Bog back, or it will drown us all. Stand here, and concentrate on your greatest wish: the Labyrinth's safety."

He placed Sarah in the centre of the window and positioned her, his hands on her waist; she could feel them tremble. His hands moved to her arms and he pulled them out wide, her palms exposed to the Labyrinth. He placed his hands around her wrists and wind began to dance around them, until the two were at the centre of a vortex. Sarah could feel Jareth's hair blowing against her face.

"You must wish it away, say it NOW!"

"I WISH THE BOG OF ETERNAL STENCH WOULD RETURN TO ITS DWELLING! RIGHT NOW!"

The vortex surrounding them loosened and descended on the Bog, which was retreating at an elevated speed. It drained out of the city and Sarah could see on the horizon that it was returning to its original spot. The cloud lifted from the Labyrinth. The smell that had hung in the air was swept up by the vortex, which plunged into the centre of the Bog. The surface settled.

The magic connection broke and Sarah noticed how high the castle actually was; as the city began to spin in her vision her knees buckled and she passed out from exhaustion into Jareth's ready arms.


	10. As The World Falls Down

When Sarah awoke, it was to the sound of singing. She realised how comfortable she was and looked around. It seemed that she was in a large four poster bed, which was made of white wood and had silver curtains. The blankets were of the softest silk and velvet, and the cushions were light, as if they were filled with marshmallow. Sarah sat up and noticed Jareth watching her, singing her a melody, cross-legged at the end of her bed.

"Welcome, Sarah, to the guest bedroom. I assume it is to your liking."

Sarah looked around the room and gasped. The room was pure white, and had a beautiful chandelier with many glass drops hanging from it. There was a delicate white wooden writing desk, a vanity mirror, and a bay window that looked out across the Labyrinth. She saw that her keepsakes had been unpacked – her lipstick and red book lay on the desk, and several books and toys were on the shelves.

"It is so beautiful." Sarah shook her head and sat up. "Jareth, what happened to the bog?"

"It retreated to its rightful place, thank goodness. The goblins are currently carrying out the biggest clean-up of their lives, but they are just grateful to be alive."

He smiled, and Sarah could see that he was feeling better. The colour had come back to his eyes, and he wore a soft cream ruffled shirt with his grey leggings and black boots. Sarah smiled back.

"What happened to me?"

"Well, Sarah, you used a lot of magic, and your body was not prepared for it. Luckily, I used the little magic I could to boost it, and so we defeated the bog. You passed out and have been asleep for around…hmm…thirteen hours now?"

"You been counting?"

Jareth looked embarrassed.

"Not really. One gets accustomed to keeping time in this job."

Sarah laughed.

"Oh, I almost forgot, you have some visitors. Hogbrain! Come here!"

"You could be nicer."

"Then he might like me, and where would that leave him? Complacent, that's where!"

Hoggle entered the room, followed by Ludo and Didymus.

"Sawah back!"

"Sarah, I knew you could do it! You were amazin'!"

"Fair lady, you are a true hero!"

They all bounded to the bed before Jareth yelled, "She is still weak, one at a time!" Ludo stepped forward and she hugged him, burying her face in his fur. Didymus then bowed to her, and she planted a kiss on his nose. Finally, Hoggle came forward.

"Sarah, you was very brave to do that. Braver than I'll ever be. I know it is your choice an' all, but I would be very sad if you left."

"Hoggle, you are my best friend, I am not leaving so long as I am welcome."

She embraced the small man and he quickly wiped a tear from his eye, blushing.

"I ain't never been no-one's best friend before."

"Well, now you are."

Jareth groaned at the sentiment and stood up, obviously revived and back to his usual sadistic self.

"Right men, Sarah had undergone a lot and needs her rest. Time's up, come on, out!"

He pointed to the door with his cane.

"Can't they stay a bit longer?"

"They will be in the castle for a while, just get some rest. You need your strength for later."

"What happens later?"

Her friends left the room, looking suspicious.

"I have a surprise for you. My way of saying 'thank you'." He leant forward and put his hand on her cheek. His skin felt like silk without his gloves on. "Now rest. I will have Grubbe bring you some food later. Are you hungry yet?"

"Not yet."

"Alright then."

Jareth turned from her and left the room.

Sarah turned over and fell into oblivion.

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><p>Sarah slept a dreamless sleep and awoke to prodding from a small goblin.<p>

"Miss, um, miss? Foods?"

Sarah sat up and took a tray from the small creature.

"Thank you. Do you know where Jareth is?"

Grubbe shook his head.

"Secret!" He squeaked, and ran away stifling giggles, clearly impressed at his concealment of the truth.

Sarah frowned, but started on the bread, fruit and juice on her tray. It was all deliciously fresh, but something was missing. She slid out of bed when she had finished, and saw her reflection. She looked dreadfully pale, and was still wearing her ripped jeans and jumper. _Oh God! How can a goblin king go for that?_ She paced over to the desk and picked up her bag that she had taken on her second run through the Labyrinth. She had left it and its items intact for the week after her run, so she lovingly emptied it. She felt something unfamiliar at the bottom, and pulled out the peach; it had not gone bad, it was still intact and smelt fresher than ever. Sarah craved it more than any food and without a second though bit into it feverously. It tasted sweeter than anything she had ever tasted, but quickly she began to see dancing before her eyes, and bubbles clouded her vision. _Oh, come on, really? _She fell into the chair by the desk and watched as the images became more real.

She was in a ballroom, filled with floating crystals and glittery particles. The room swayed gently. It was empty, except for Jareth, who stepped out from a billowing curtain. He was wearing a deep blue, diamond encrusted jacket, and as he lowered his mask Sarah saw his beautiful eyes widen at her. She looked down at herself.

Her jeans and jumper had been replaced with a pure white gown that shimmered in the light. The oversized sleeves shrunk down her arm and clung at her wrists, showing the form of her slender arms. Her hair had fallen into a large mass of curls behind her, and silver ribbons hung from it. A silver and gold necklace hung around her neck, complimenting the low neckline of the dress. She gazed in awe at her apparel and swung the skirts around briefly, before returning her gaze to Jareth. No one else was there to hide him; she was not scared, she had no time limit. There were no Fae's dressed as goblins, whispering indecently to one another and tempting Sarah with their magic. Sarah stepped forward and approached Jareth, who took her in his arms as gentle music began to play. His hand was warm on her waist and his eyes penetrated her stare, commanding hers to keep his gaze. He pulled her close and danced with her lovingly, swaying her gently, and singing to her.

_There's such a sad love_

_Deep in your eyes, a kind of pale jewel_

_Open and closed within your eyes_

_I'll place the sky within your eyes_

There was no clock chiming, no laughing or inappropriate behaviour among the now absent guests, just the pair, dancing to their own song. Jareth's body language was different from their previous dance; he held her closer, and occasionally rested his head against the top of hers.

_There's such a fooled heart_

_Beating so fast in search of new dreams_

_A love that will last within your heart_

_I'll place the moon within your heart_

Jareth was still staring at her, but he looked preoccupied occasionally, like something was bothering him.

From the throne room, many goblins fought to see inside the crystal Grubbe had snatched. They were supposed to be cleaning, but they were all desperate to see their master. "Look," said Grubbe, "Master is singing again."

_As the pain sweeps through_

_Makes no sense for you_

_Every thrill has gone_

_Wasn't too much fun at all_

_But I'll be there for you_

_As the world falls down_

Sarah noticed that her lips were parted in awe, and felt foolish for gawping like a young girl at his beauty.

_I'll paint you mornings of gold_

_I'll spin you Valentine evenings_

_Though we're strangers till now_

_We're choosing the path between the stars_

_I'll leave my love between the stars_

They danced for what felt like forever, but the dance was over too quickly for both of them. The song came to an end and Jareth stood back, bowing to Sarah before taking her hand and kissing the back of it. Sarah felt the kiss in her knees.

"Must we stop?"

"I am afraid we must. I have to take you somewhere."

Jareth took her other hand and the two were transported to a dark Overground street. They were in front of a small, quaint house with a red car parked outside. A mother and her adolescent son climbed out of the car and dashed to the house in the rain, laughing loudly. Sarah felt a pang when she saw his blond hair.

"Is that Toby? And Karen?" She looked up at Jareth, who looked solemn.

"Yes, and you can leave now if you wish and live with them, or near them. I am very powerful; I can make them reasonable."

Sarah needed only a moment to decide.

"That would be your choice, not theirs'. No way, I am not going."

"Fair enough. Then let us proceed."

They transported again to a familiar scene. Sarah saw her older self with the screaming baby and the useless husband. She shivered, and Jareth placed his arm around her.

"Is this real?"

"That is Peter, he does the accounts for you acting school. You meet and marry him too hastily."

"But can't I change it now I know?"

"No, I am afraid that if you choose to leave the Underground you will forget everything."

"Why would I want to leave?"

They transported to the edge of the Labyrinth where Sarah had first begun her journey.

"If you stay here Sarah, all of this will be yours as well. The Labyrinth cannot seem to function correctly without you, it needs you here. I offer you everything. You can choose to stay, or return to either of your families."

Sarah looked out across the magnificent Labyrinth and breathed deeply. The air was sweet and clean, unlike the Overground air. She could hear the distant sounds of birds, goblins and streams. She could never leave.

They returned to the guest bedroom, and Sarah sat down on the bed to gather her thoughts. She was in a less extravagant gown now; it was a long gown made of white silk, with long sleeves and an empire line. _Wow, everything is simple here._

"Jareth, do you want me to stay?"

Jareth sat next to her, a foot away. He tried to phrase his words correctly.

"I want you to act independently of my will. I want you to do as you desire."

Sarah smiled and looked up at him.

"I think you must know by now what I desire."

She carefully stroked his cheek, before lacing her fingers into his hair and gently pulling his face to hers, kissing him lightly on the mouth. She felt him jump, then submit to her affection, placing his hands prudently around her waist. She pulled him closer and kissed him with more fervour than before, which made him gently pull away.

"So, you shall remain here?"

"Yes Jareth! I will."

"Then I must ask that we do not continue this behaviour until we are married."

A weight landed in Sarah's stomach.

"Was that a proposal?"

Jareth looked bashful.

"Yes, it was. Don't look so shocked, that is how we do things here."

"And I cannot kiss you again until we are married?"

"That is the way it is done."

"Then I had better marry you, then! Gees, I always thought you were the flirtatious type…"

Jareth literally glowed brightly and embraced Sarah.

"Then you shall be my queen?"

"I shall! But we'll see about the kiss thing…"

She took his hand and kissed it.

"Sarah, I really must protest-

"You have no power over me, Jareth…"

"I _do_. Just not enough, it seems…"

Sarah kissed Jareth gently, but could barely contain the splendour of the kiss. She felt as though she could faint from happiness. Everything Underground felt right, it felt easy. It felt like home.

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><p>AN: Awww! A slushy finish but come on, we all want one! Thank you for those who added this to their favourite stories, it makes me feel so warm and fuzzy! There is still a final installment to this story, but it is not very substantial. Thanks to everyone who read and enjoyed this - it makes writing worth doing! Remember, I own nothing of the Labyrinth! None of it!<p> 


	11. Epilogue

AN: Ah, it is over. I feel sad but am so moved by those who added this story to their alerts/favorites etc. Thank you in particular to Flying Dragonite for your words of encouragement and to BlackndRose for giving me the best review I could possibly have asked for. I have written around one chapter's worth of my new story - Jareth is a lot sneakier in this one, and a bit dark, and Sarah is nearly 18 and very, very gullible. I hope to post it soon! But for now, here is the end. A bit indulgent, I know, but J&S deserve it!

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><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

Far off, in a distant land, a woman in white dashed through the forest of a treacherous Labyrinth, laughing joyfully, clasping a beautiful bouquet of almost transparent flowers, her skirts trailing behind her. Her skin seemed to glow with magic, and her raven hair fell behind her in loose, fluid curls. She ran past beautiful, twisting trees and blue streams, following a spherical crystal that sped along the ground. Approaching a grand city, she rushed past crowds of cheering goblins, who only made her smile more with their mismatched attire and happy expressions. As she reached a castle, she was met by her three best friends. She embraced Hoggle, who wiped away a tear; she embraced Ludo, who grinned widely and danced on the spot; she kissed Didymus on the nose, who blushed and bowed. She then proceeded to run up the stairs and race into the throne room.

In the throne a tall, bright man with dark eyes sat up and looked on her with pure adoration. He was dressed in the purest white attire, with a cloak of feathers and white gloves. He stood as she knelt before him, dropping her flowers into a crystal jar, and took her hand, lifting her face to meet his. He took his other hand and a crystal materialised into it. He then knelt before her and handed the crystal to her, bowing his head. She took it and looked into it, seeing her and Jareth dancing alone in the ball room, when she was a mere teenager. Jareth took her other hand as she looked, standing to meet her face. He took it in his hands, and softly he kissed Sarah, his eyes closing in delight. The Goblin King, after 1,300 years of ruling alone, finally had his Queen. And Sarah Williams, after ten years of dreaming of a faraway land that she had once visited as a child, finally got her strongest wish of all.

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><p>OoOoO <em>Fin<em> OoOoO


	12. AMENDED Homecoming

**AN: I have a formal apology to make! In the uploading of this fanfic I uploaded the wrong version of this chapter - an initial version where I accidentally reversed the time so that one year Overground lasted ten years Underground. I am sorry for any confusion caused! Here is the chapter as it should have been - it is virtually the same, just with an amended section! I will be more vigilant in the future! And thank you to Ashleigh for pointing it out!**

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><p><em>But what no one knew was that the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the girl, and he had given her certain powers.<em>

In the week that had passed since Sarah had left the Labyrinth, she had largely remained in her sweatpants, either reading medieval literature in bed or watching films, wrapped in a blanket on the couch. In truth, in the two days she had not left her bedroom. She had checked the mirror at every opportunity, and she kept her large window unlocked, and the curtain open. It was in vain. Since she had commanded that the Goblin King and his Labyrinth remove themselves from her life, she had regretted every last second of the time she had spent in the Escher room. Of course, she had seen his point. For so long she had believed him and his Labyrinth to be a childhood fantasy, but now she was without it she realised that whether it was real or not, to her it was real – and she needed it.

She had read her little red book at least ten times a day to try to find a way back to the Labyrinth – she had even considered wishing a child away. Sarah looked at the clock from the couch and then panicked – time went so much faster here than in the Labyrinth – how long was a week? She threw off her blanket and ran to the mirror, yelling, "Hoggle? Ludo? Didymus? Where are you?"

The phone rang and made her jump, and she refused to answer it. It clicked to voicemail and Annie's voice came out of the machine.

"Sarah, I don't know where you are but I think you should call me. I have had enough of you treating me like such a fair-weather friend, you seem so detached all the time. The acting school opens for the autumn soon, will you still be teaching there or not? Give me a call!" A click signalled the end of the call.

Sarah unplugged the phone and returned to the sofa. She felt like she could never leave her flat again.

That night, when Sarah lay in bed and failed to sleep, she heard a strange noise like glass shattering, followed by a bright light. She sat up and pulled a jumper over her t-shirt and torn jeans before cautiously approaching the mirror. She was dazed to see Didymus there, his clothes dirty and his hat ripped, and yet thrilled at the same time.

"Didymus! Oh thank goodness, I knew you were alive! I thought that dragon had you!"

Didymus looked upset.

"But my lady, that great battle finished but ten weeks ago! We have much greater problems to handle now!"

"But, I don't understand? One year down there is worth ten up here! Why has it switched?"

"I know miss, but when you left Jareth somehow re-ordered time, and believe me it was not to your advantage! He wanted to be, well...dead in case you ever decided to return. He cannot bear to see you, fair maiden."

Sarah felt a weight hit the bottom of her gut. The thought of Jareth dead was too hard to consider, and the sudden swell of emotion she felt towards him confused her.

"My lady, a great darkness has fallen over the Labyrinth since your departure. No one has seen or heard of his majesty, and the bog has spread and surrounded the goblin city. Fair maiden, I must ask you to return and help us!"

Sarah was so busy being thrilled and rejoicing in the fact that she could get back to the Labyrinth that it took a moment for fear to kick in properly.

"But what can I do, Didymus? I am just a girl from the Overground who is too melodramatic and still wishes she was fifteen! How can I help?"

"Sarah, you have grand courage that outweighs any I have ever seen. You left the Labyrinth and you left it and its ruler lacking, and as such evil has begun to envelop our world. You are a part of the Labyrinth now, it needs you. I must ask you to return to Jareth and try to make him stronger, for without you I fear he sees no point."

"Oh Didymus, he thinks he loves me but he doesn't! He just wants to control me!"

"Ask yourself madam, who controls who? Who did he hopelessly fawn over from his owl form as a young girl acted in the park? Who took your brother, once you asked, and reordered time? Who defeated him and won the Labyrinth? Who left him in a frenzy, causing him to spend a whole year with little sleep trying to make the Labyrinth better? Who defeated his dragon and threw him into despair? In a way, you control him. Until you acknowledge that he is real, he is forever in your power, in your control. You need to free him, as only he can save the Labyrinth and all its people."

Sarah cast her mind back to his words. _Everything I've done I've done for you_. She had to go back, she had to save him. Tears began to form in her tired eyes.

"I believe you exist, all of you. I think somewhere, deep down, I always knew you did. My Overground logic didn't let be believe it though, I just took it all for granted. I don't know how you all exist, or where, or why, but all I know is that I need you, all of you, forever, and I don't belong here anymore – I never have! I have no family, few friends and no money, but down in the Underground everything seems easier. I'd rather live like a slave down there than free up here! I'm coming with you, just let me pack some things."

"As you wish, my lady."

Sarah began to dash around the room, cleaning her teeth, shoving mementos into a large bag, and scribbling a note to Annie saying she had moved to Scotland to start a new life with a man called Jerry. She applied a thick layer of red lipstick and put on her best running shoes, before slinging the bag over her shoulder and returning to the mirror. Didymus awaited her patiently.

"I'm ready…what do I have to do to come back?"

"Madam, you have so much power, all you need do is express it aloud."  
>Sarah looked puzzled, then laughed at how easy it seemed.<p>

"I wish to return to the Labyrinth! Right NOW!"

* * *

><p>Somewhere, deep in the heart of the Labyrinth, the Goblin King had hidden himself in a large, white room that goblin, dwarf, nor monster could find. Jareth sat, staring blankly at the room around him. Here, he was safe, but only for the moment. He was fading; his skin was as pale as his hair, and his clothes were grey and silver, clinging to his frail body. His eyes had grown black and his lips white. Soon, none of it would matter. <em>Soon, Jareth, you can find peace<em>.


End file.
